


Perspicuity

by Scotchkiss



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Norse Religion & Lore, Alternate Universe - Canon, BAMF Loki (Marvel), Frigga Lives (Marvel), Good Loki (Marvel), Implied/Referenced Torture, Odin Lives (Marvel), teenage loki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:47:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 28,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29010762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scotchkiss/pseuds/Scotchkiss
Summary: Is Loki a traitor or a Prince of Asgard? This is a reimagining of Loki’s story from his captivity and torture to his new life on Midgard. Canon-divergent from the first Thor movie.
Relationships: Frigga | Freyja & Loki (Marvel), Frigga | Freyja/Odin (Marvel), Loki & Thor (Marvel)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 85





	1. Prologue and Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> All characters owned by Marvel/Disney. I make no claims on them.
> 
> In Midgardian years, I'm going with the theory that Loki is about 16 and Thor is around 23.
> 
> This fic is complete. I will be posting a new chapter every week.
> 
> Unbeta'd.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is Loki a traitor or a Prince of Agard? This is a reimagining of Loki’s story from his captivity and torture to his new life on Midgard. Canon-divergent from the first Thor movie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters owned by Marvel/Disney. I make no claims on them.
> 
> I am going with the theory that Loki is around 16 in Midgardian years, and Thor is 23.
> 
> The story is complete. I will be posting a new chapter every week.
> 
> Unbeta'd.

Prologue:

_Loki hung between two chains with a shackle around each wrist. His feet did not reach the floor. He was in a dark, dank, dirty cave, and he was covered in blood, gore, and filth, all his own. Both his shoulders were burned to the bones. A creature moved behind him and dropped a few drops of caustic fluid on one shoulder, then the other, causing Loki to scream in pain._

_“Papa! Papa! Save me!” he screamed, although his voice was barely above a whisper, hoarse from his previous shouts. “Papa! Please!”_

Odin bolted upright in his bed, the left side of his face wet with tears. This was the fourth nightmare he’d had about Loki since he had fallen into the abyss, each one more gruesome than the last. He knew he would get no more sleep that night, so he rose, taking care not to awaken his still-sleeping wife.

He considered, as he dressed, why he was being plagued with such horrific dreams of his youngest. Was it the guilt he felt at not being able to save Loki from falling? Or was there some truth to the dreams? He knew no one had ever survived a fall into the Void. It was senseless even to hope.

He strode down the long bridge to find Heimdall at his post on the Bifrost. 

“Another dream about Loki?” Heimdall asked.

“Aye,” the king answered. 

“Bad?”

Odin shuddered. “I pray they are merely the result of a penitent mind and are not some sort of clairvoyant visions.” 

“I search for him often,” the Gatekeeper replied. “Even I cannot See into the Void. I’m sorry.”

The King sighed and looked out into the darkness of the night.  
  


Chapter One:

“To which ‘Papa’ do you beg for rescue?” the Other asked in an oily voice. “The one who sired you or the one who raised you?” 

Loki ignored his torturer. He was near the breaking point; his entire consciousness was focused only on his pain and his despair. There was no way out. He had tried repeatedly at the beginning of his capture to escape, to bargain, to talk his way out of this Hell. It was futile.

“No one will save you, little prince,” the Other continued. “I have all the time I need. Only you can end your pain. Bow down to my master, and he will give you what you want.”

“No,” Loki gasped. “I bow to no one.”

The Other laughed, unstoppered the bottle with the corrosive fluid, and moved to Loki’s shoulder.

<><><>

The room was empty, save for Odin on his throne and Frigga standing to his right. It was the middle of the night, and all of Asgard were asleep. All but the royal family. The King and Queen waited solemnly.

The sound of boots signaled the arrival of a small unit of Einherjar with their prisoner. 

Loki was chained at the wrists, neck, and waist. He still bore the muzzle from Midgard. As the entourage approached the dais, Frigga was pained but unsurprised, to see the cuts and bruises that covered his face. But she was shocked at how thin her son was. The clothes that fitted him perfectly before he fell were now baggy and torn. Equally disturbing was how unkempt he was. Normally Loki was fastidious in his appearance, but his hair was now long and matted. He was dirty and disheveled. 

The guards stopped before the King and his Queen, but Loki kept walking as if on autopilot until the chains impeded his momentum. It was only then he stopped. His expression was completely blank. 

Odin waved a hand, and the muzzle disappeared. Loki had no reaction. The King stared at him for several long minutes. He was both overjoyed that the boy had returned home alive and furious that he had caused so much death and destruction on a realm that had been hands-off for nearly a millennium. 

The minutes ticked by, and still, Loki failed to react. Finally, Odin could take no more. 

“What have you to say for yourself?” the King bellowed.

Loki did not so much as flinch.

“Loki?” Frigga said quietly. 

Still, no reaction.

Frustrated, Odin slammed Gungnir down sharply, the loud crack making everyone jump, including Loki. 

Slowly, he became aware of his surroundings. His eyes focused and his cognition slowly returned. He looked at Odin, not seeming to recognize him. Then his eyes drifted to Frigga. After a few seconds, joy spread across his face as he identified his mother. He smiled and took a step toward her, only to be stopped short by the chains he wore. He looked down at his hands in confusion, startled to see them bound in shackles. He was perplexed as he traced the shackles to the heavy chained belt around his waist. He then felt the collar around his neck. He started to panic.

His breathing became quick and erratic. Terror shone in his eyes. He backed up and ran into one of the guards. This terrified him even more. He began trying to tear the collar from his neck.

“Loki!” Frigga implored. “Stop. You’re hurting yourself.” She quickly ran down the steps toward him, stopping on the step just above him. 

His breaths came in gasps now. Tears ran down his face; normally he never would have shown such weakness as to cry in public. He was whimpering.

“Loki,” his mother said softly in shock.

His fingers began to bleed as he tried more frantically to tear the collar from his neck. He was hyperventilating.

“No more. Kill me,” he whispered. “Please.”

“Odin, do something,” she begged.

The King stepped forward and looked at the youngest prince for several long moments. Finally, he put his hand on Loki’s cheek, and merely said, “sleep.”

Loki fell heavily in sleep, caught by the Einherjar before he hit the ground.

“I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this,” the Allfather said. “You,” he said, pointing to one of the guards in the back. “Quickly! Awaken Lady Eir and have her meet us in the healing wing. You,” pointing to another. “Fetch Prince Thor. Tell him to come at once.”

Two Einherjar picked an unconscious Loki up. Carefully, they made their way to the healing wing, followed closely by the King and Queen.

<><><>

Lady Eir, the head healer, entered the healing room smoothing down her clothing just as the guards entered carrying the unconscious prince between them. 

“Prince Loki!” she exclaimed. She had no idea he was the prisoner the Einherjar were bringing to see her.

“He was initially catatonic when they brought him to us,” Frigga explained. “But he became hysterical when he realized he was in chains, so Odin made him sleep.”

“Why is he in chains?” asked the healer.

A look from the King showed that was not up for discussion. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Eir said. “Put him here.” She indicated a soul forge toward the back of the room. 

“These chains will interfere with my readings,” she said to Odin.

With a wave of his hand, he vanished all but the chains around his wrists.

“These will remain. Just in case he’s feigning,” the Allfather said sternly.

Eir nodded and began to take readings of her patient. 

“How did he come by so many injuries?” she asked. 

“A giant on Midgard slammed him repeatedly into the ground just yesterday,” Thor answered as he came into the room.

“No, most of these are not recent,” she explained. “He has received multiple injuries over a long period of time. I do not recognize any of these wounds from before he…from before.”

Frigga put a hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp.

“Why have you sent for me, Father?” Thor was annoyed. Annoyed that he’d been summoned from his rest. Annoyed that his brother was making his mother so pained. Annoyed that Loki had caused so much death on another realm. Just annoyed.

“I must concentrate,” the Healer stated. “Please take your conversation into the other room.”

They did as she requested, but Odin left one of the Einherjar stationed at the door “for protection.”

As Eir continued her evaluation, Odin, in the other room, asked, “Thor, your brother was unresponsive when he arrived. When did this happen? When he reached Asgard or before?”  
  
“I know not,” he answered.

“Think, Thor!”

Thor huffed in frustration. “On Midgard, I suppose.”

“Do better, son. When, exactly?”

His eldest son thought.

“It was probably around the time the Man of Iron detonated an explosion to seal the portal. All the Chitauri dropped from the sky after they were cut off from whomever was commanding them. Is that signific… Oh! You think the Chitauri and Loki were both being controlled by the being in the portal?” 

“It would help to explain why he suddenly became homicidal, willing to sacrifice the lives of innocents,” Frigga said.

“Did he tell you where he has been for all these months we thought him dead?” Odin asked.

“Nay. Merely that it was his birthright to be a king.” 

The three of them sat in silence, awaiting news of Loki’s condition.

After a couple of hours, Eir finally emerged and summoned them to her office for privacy.  
  
“How is he?” Frigga questioned. “Will he be alright?”

“I have put him in stasis while he heals.” She turned to Odin. “He will need those shackles removed so we can make him comfortable.”  
  
The King waved an arm, making the restraints disappear in the other room. He nodded for her to continue.

“Prince Loki is horribly underweight and will continue receiving nutrients as long as he is asleep.”

She took a deep breath and continued. 

“There is no doubt he has been tortured. He has suffered countless broken bones, some up to a year or so old, continuing through yesterday. He has massive soft tissue damage and is anemic from repeated blood loss. He must have been in terrible pain.”

Frigga dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, as Odin and Thor sat stoically. 

“I believe he will heal eventually, but I will need to keep him in a healing sleep for the next several weeks.”

“Weeks?” Odin asked. “His injuries are that severe?”

“I cannot impress upon you enough how much he has suffered. However, I don’t think the torture was purely physical. I have also found areas of damage on his medial temporal lobe. That’s the center of autonomy and where memories are stored. It looks as though his memories may have been altered.”  
  
“How badly?” Frigga asked.

“We cannot know until he awakens.”

<><><>

As Loki slept, news of his return spread quickly throughout the realm. The townspeople knew the prince had returned in chains, but they did not know the specifics.

The Council, on the other hand, demanded every single detail from both Odin and Thor. They even accused the King of favoritism, insisting they, not Odin, oversee Loki’s punishment. Lady Eir met with them behind closed doors and quickly convinced them that, if Loki had deserved punishment, he most certainly had already received it through the appalling torture he had endured. That quelled their thirst for the prince’s blood. All they could do was wait.

After nine long weeks, Loki finally awoke.


	2. Chapter Two

The first thing Loki noticed as he slowly became aware was that he was no longer in pain. He had lived with relentless severe pain for months now, so being pain-free was a joy. Too, he no longer felt the gnawing hunger that had been his constant companion for longer than he cared to remember. 

The second thing he noticed was the smell. It smelled pleasant, not the odor of fetid, rotting flesh and bile that clung to his skin, his clothes, his hair. No, this nice aroma smelled like…

His eyes flew open. Home! He was home! Impossible. Surely, this was another of Thanos’ tricks. He knew he’d never return home.

Lady Eir was by his side in an instant.

“Prince Loki,” she exclaimed. “How nice to see you awake. How do you feel?”

In terror, he began flinging his fists. Although he was extremely weak, he managed to connect his fist to the Healer’s jaw, sending her to the floor. More healers entered the room and were able to subdue him with sleeping herbs.

From the floor, Eir announced that no one was to startle the prince until he was further healed.

Lesson learned.

<><><><><>

Loki was allowed to awaken from the sleeping herbs slowly, gradually. Lady Eir stood unmoving within his eyesight away from his reach. She spoke gently.

“My Prince. Welcome home.”

He furrowed his brow in confusion. 

“Is this real? Am I really home?” he whispered. 

Eir smiled warmly. “Yes, my Prince. You are home.”

“How? How was I rescued?” He was unconvinced.

“Prince Thor brought you home. I know not the circumstances. You can ask him later. Now tell me how you feel.”

She approached him cautiously, once she felt it was safe enough to do so. As she performed her examination, Loki tried to remember. He concentrated, but could not recall returning home.

Eir broke him out of his thoughts, telling him, “you have visitors.”

Loki looked to the door to see his fami…no, the Royal family of Asgard, heading toward him with bright smiles on their faces.

His mother. No. Not his real mother. She is Frigga now. She was the first to reach him. He smiled up at her despite himself. He always sought her comfort, no matter the circumstances. She bent down to kiss him gently on the forehead.

“Loki,” she said. “I am so happy to see your beautiful eyes again.”

Odin, on the other side of the bed, cupped his cheek. Loki could not remember seeing his fath…the King smile so genuinely. 

“Welcome home, my son.”

Thor was next. It was difficult for him not to touch Loki, but he refrained out of fear of hurting him. Instead, he beamed. “It’s good to have you back, brother.”

Loki’s smile faded. Although relieved to be out of Thanos’ clutches, he was not sure how he felt about returning to the family who had lied to him his entire life.

“Loki. What’s wrong?” Frigga asked. “Are you in pain?” She glanced at Odin, then to Lady Eir.

Loki sighed. He had hoped to have a little more time to enjoy the comfort of this bed, but it was apparently not to be.

“How am I here?” His voice was gravelly from disuse.

“How much do you remember?” Odin asked.

“Nothing. I was there, and now I’m here. I don’t remember anything in between.”

“Perhaps you should rest before we talk about how you were brought back, my heart,” Frigga suggested. “You’ve obviously been through quite an ordeal, and we want to make sure you are completely healed first.”

Her husband looked relieved. “Excellent idea!”

Lady Eir stepped in to second the plan. “I quite agree. While you are better now, you have quite a lot of healing still to go. It’s best you rest now. Your family can come back later to visit you after you’ve…”

“Not my family,” Loki said, loudly, interrupting her. “The people who raised me. They are not my family.” 

“Oh,” Eir said, hesitantly. “Well, they will come back later this evening, perhaps. After you’ve rested more.” 

She adjusted the settings on his bed, releasing a generous amount of sleeping herb. He was soundly asleep in seconds.

“Obviously, he still had a lot of healing to do,” Odin stated. “Please let us know when he awakens again.”

<><><>

He dreamed he was back on Sanctuary. One of Thanos’ minions was flogging him to within an inch of his life. Again. 

“Call him Master,” the faceless minion screamed.

“N-never,” Loki choked.

The lash came down upon his back again and again until his flesh was in ribbons. 

Just as Loki was about to lose consciousness, a tall creature stepped into his sight. He revived the prince with a wave of his hand, assuring he would have no relief in oblivion. 

“You think you are strong, Little Prince. But you are nothing,” Ebony Maw said. “You are nothing until my Master deems you worthy.”

Had Loki been able, he would have spit in the face of the arrogant being. Instead, he hung in agony from chains around his wrists.

Suddenly, the monster in front of him was replaced by his mother, who looked at him in disgust.

“Mother?” he asked quietly, confused by her sudden appearance.

“I don’t know why I bothered with you,” Frigga sneered. “You are nothing. We were so happy without you. The entire realm rejoiced in your death, Jotun scum!” 

He awoke with a gasp. Even the amount of sleeping herbs in his system could not overcome his fear. He looked around the room. Still groggy from sleep, he assumed he was being tricked by the Other’s illusions. There was no way he was back home in Asgard.

The door creaked open, and Frigga peeked in, smiling to see her son awake again.

She stepped inside, but before she could utter a word, Loki screamed, “Get away from me, you filth!”

Frigga pulled up short. The commotion brought in alarmed healers.

“Loki,” his mother said softly.

“Burn in Hel, monster!” he spat. 

His eyes were wild, and, had he been strong enough, he would have thrown something at the creature pretending to be the Queen.

Eir made her way to the bed but stayed a safe distance away.

“My Prince. Calm yourself,” she urged.

Loki growled and snarled at her like a feral animal. 

Eir’s second-in-command came in with a small, smooth object. She lifted the bed covers near Loki’s feet and placed the object on his exposed ankle, releasing the sedative. 

He whimpered as he slid into sleep again. 

Frigga stood frozen in place, her mouth agape, tears running down his face. What had happened to her boy?

By nightfall, the rumor around the palace was that not only had the prince returned, but he had come back quite insane.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rearranged events a bit to suit my purposes.

It took nearly a day for the rest of the herbs and the sedative to leave his system. He was feeling much more rested, even better than he had felt earlier. He felt stronger, too. One of the healers helped him sit up in bed, while another brought him some bone broth. 

He sipped as much broth as he could; his stomach was so unused to having anything in it that it didn’t take more than a few spoons to fill him up. 

After his food was taken away, he leaned back into the pillow and luxuriated for a moment in the feeling of being clean, dry, comfortable, and safe. But was he truly safe? After how much chaos he had caused the other realm, how much trouble would he be in? Would he go to prison for his crimes? What about letting the Jotuns into the weapons vault? Did they know yet that was he? Would he be trading one prison for another? His breath came quicker, and he started to panic.

Eir was monitoring his vital signs from her office and was by his side in an instant.

“My Prince? You need to slow your breathing. Take deep breaths. You’ve had a lot of trauma, so it’s understandable you would feel anxiety, but you are safe now. Just remember that.”

“I’m not safe,” he snapped.

Odin, Frigga, and Thor arrived just in time to hear that statement.

“Loki?” the Queen asked cautiously.

He looked at her, the earlier wild look in his eyes gone.

She approached him cautiously, as did her husband and son. They feared a repeat of yesterday’s outburst.

“Why do you think you’re not safe?” she asked.

He scoffed. “Do you think I don’t know that I’ll be punished for what I did to Jotunheim?”

“What did you do to Jotunheim?” Odin queried, coming to the side of his bed.

“You know very well what I did before you pushed me off the Bifrost Bridge!” he barked. “I am not feeble-minded. I fully expect imprisonment for my crimes. Or execution.”

“No, Loki,” Odin said. Loki flinched at the words. “No one pushed you off the Rainbow Bridge. You are remembering incorrectly.” His voice was gentle, as though trying to soothe a spooked horse.

“I remember everything,” his son snarled viciously. “Years of telling me I was born to be a king, all the while you never had any intention of allowing a Jotun runt to sit on the throne of Asgard.”

“Loki!” Frigga gasped.

“And you!” He turned to her, stabbing his finger toward her. “You were just as complicit in his lie. All my life you pretended I was your son. But I’m nothing more than a stolen relic to be used when it’s convenient.” 

“Prince Loki,” the Healer interrupted. “Please take a deep breath and calm yourself. Being upset will not aid your recovery.”

“Why bother to heal me when I’m just going to be punished? Or is that part of the punishment? Give me a false sense of hope then tear it away?”

“Loki! Stop this!” Thor demanded. “Your head is not right.”

“Yes, thank you so much, ‘brother!’” he sneered.

“Loki, we will leave you to rest for now,” the king said. “Tomorrow we will be back, and you will tell us what you think happened before your fall.”

“What I know happened,” Loki said. “Very well. Let’s do postpone the inevitable.” His voice was sarcastic and brittle. “I can’t wait!”

As the family left, Lady Eir helped him lie back down. Again, she gave him sleeping herbs. The last thought he had before sleep claimed him was “I must escape before they come back.”

<><><>

The next morning was beautiful. The sun was shining softly through the window in Loki’s private healing room, and a light breeze blew in the scents of flowers from Frigga’s garden. He stretched, still feeling sore, but nothing like he had endured at the hands of Thanos and his Children. That thought was sobering, and he quickly remembered that he needed to leave Asgard before he was thrown into a cell, never to see the light of day again. For surely that’s what would befall him as the Jotun monster that he was.

He struggled to sit up, managing not to make any noise; he did not need any of the healers to stop him. He put one foot, then the other on the floor. Of course, he had no shoes. He would find some on his journey to...wherever. First, however, he had to leave.

He stood up and promptly fell on the floor. He was shocked. He didn’t realize he was so weak.

The commotion drew the attention of Lady Eir, who quickly rushed in to find him in a heap on the floor.

“My Prince! What are you doing on the floor? Let’s get you back into bed. You’re not yet healed enough to walk around.”

She grabbed his arm to assist him, but he jerked away. He tried to teleport at least into the next room, but he found he could not access his seidr. 

“Why can’t I…” He noticed for the first time the thin bracelet around his right wrist. “No!” he screamed.

“Prince Loki!” Eir said, sternly. “You must get back into bed at once. Your seidr has been channeled explicitly for healing and nothing else.”

Another healer entered the room, and together they got Loki back into the bed and settled. 

“No more trying to leave,” Eir said. She was angry. “You may have set back your recovery.”

“Leave?” Odin asked from the doorway. Frigga joined him. They thought it best Thor not attend. The less agitation for Loki, the better. 

“Yes,” Eir answered. “We found him on the floor. Then he tried to teleport.” 

“Loki,” Frigga said sweetly as she rushed to his side. “Why are you trying to run? We want to help you, to understand what you’ve been through.”

“You will never be able to understand what it’s like to be a monster!”

“Silence!” the King barked. He turned to the healers in the room. “We will have privacy.”

They left, shutting the door behind them. Frigga settled on the edge of the bed, while Odin pulled up a chair on the other side. He took a deep breath.

“Now tell us what this is about, Loki.” He spoke calmly, quietly. “Tell us what you believe to have transpired before you fell from the bridge.”

Loki crossed his arms in front of him. He was angry, defiant, petulant, and it showed on his face.

“You already know what has happened. Are you punishing me by making me relive it? Or are you forcing a confession from me?”

“Just indulge us, please,” Frigga said.

“Fine. I’ll humor you,” he huffed. “Let’s see. After Thor returned from his exile…”

“Wait,” Odin interrupted. “Thor was exiled?”

“You know very well he was. You’re the one who exiled him.”

“Please explain the circumstances.”

“Why do I… Fine! I did it! I confess. I was the one who let the Jotuns in to disrupt his coronation. I just wanted to prove to you that he was not ready to be king. No other reason than that.”

Odin and Frigga looked at each other but said nothing.

“Naturally, Thor, the hot-headed oaf that he is…”

“Loki!” his mother chastised.

“Well, he is!” Loki continued. “Thor just had to drag us to Jotunheim to get his petty revenge. He nearly started a war with them again, as you well know. It was there that I found out that I am not your son, but Laufey’s discarded whelp!”

“Laufey?”

“Mother,” he corrected himself. “Frigga, really! You know all this. Why are you forcing me to repeat it all?” 

“Please continue, son,” Odin said.

“I am NOT your son!” Loki snarled.

The King gestured for him to resume.

Loki exhaled sharply and continued. “You,” he said, looking at Odin, “confirmed for me that I was Jotun when I picked up the Casket of Ancient Winters in the weapons vault and I turned blue. You said some bullshit about finding me abandoned in a temple with Laufey’s markings. Of course, before you could explain anything other than you were planning to use me to unite the kingdoms, you conveniently fell into Odinsleep.”

He curled his lip in disgust.

“And then?” Odin prompted.

“And then she made me king because you had banished Thor to Midgard for nearly starting a war. I had just found out I was a Jotun, so I really had no business ruling. What happened afterward was really the fault of both of you!”

He was breathing hard enough for Lady Eir to step into the room. She was still monitoring his vitals from her office. 

“Please forgive the intrusion. I must ask that the prince take deep breaths and try to calm himself before continuing.”

“We will see that he does,” Frigga answered.

Eir closed the door, granting the family privacy again.

“Deep breaths, Loki. Try to calm yourself.”

Despite his anger, he found himself doing as she asked. He was never very good at going against her wishes.

“Good,” she said. “Now please tell us what happened next.”

He rolled his eyes and continued.

“Naturally, Thor’s sycophants assumed I had stolen the throne, so they defied my order and went to Midgard to bring the moron back. I could not, of course, let that stand, so I sent the Destroyer after the five of them.” He smirked smugly. “It was my right as King to defend my command. The fact that Sif and Thor demolished it was not my fault.”

Frigga and Odin looked at each other and motioned for him to continue.

“Thor came back to Asgard, just as I turned the Bifrost on to Jotunheim and left it on. Yes, I knew it would obliterate the realm. I just didn’t care. I thought if I killed all the Frost Giant monsters that I could prove myself loyal to Asgard and worthy of your love,” he said softly. “Thor, however, wanted to save the wretched beasts and destroyed the bridge with his damn hammer.”

He did not notice the tears Frigga had in her eyes, nor did he see the pity on Odin’s face. 

“Thor and I fought. He won. Surprise, surprise. That’s when he threw me off the Bridge in disgust. Better to be rid of the Jotun scum than to claim one as a brother.”

“I thought you said that I threw you from the bridge,” said Odin.

Loki furrowed his brows. His memories were muddled. He remembered both Odin and Thor tossing him from the bridge.

“I’m just confused. What does it matter who did it? One of you threw me away like trash! Are you satisfied with my confession? What is it to be? Prison or the ax?”

Odin gathered his thoughts. He knew he had to proceed with caution.

“Loki. These memories of yours. They are not real.”

“Yes, they are! I remem…”

Odin raised a hand to cut him off. 

“You told us what you remembered. Now let us tell you what we know. Frigga, my wife, my love, my queen, gave birth to you.”

Loki drew his brows together and scoffed, a skeptical expression on his face. He shook his head and said nothing.

“You were a little early, so yes, you were a bit on the small side, but you were not a runt. Your mother used to say that you were so eager to meet me that you came early because you knew I was on the way home from the war. I did not find you in a temple. I found you in your mother’s arms. She was elated, and so was I.” 

Loki sneered and rolled his eyes.

“Your brother did not have a coronation. I know he is not ready for the throne. Therefore, there were no Jotuns to let into the palace to prove it to me. I have not fallen into Odinsleep in nearly two centuries. We were never in the weapons vault, and you have never, to my knowledge, held the Casket of Ancient Winters. You are not a Jotun, Loki. You are our son. You are Asgardian through and through.”

“Why are you lying to me?”

“Loki,” Frigga said. Her voice was gentle and soothing. “We have never knowingly lied to you. I gave birth to you. You can ask any one of the palace attendants or townspeople. Eir helped me deliver you. They all remember me being pregnant with you during the war with Jotunheim. We considered you our lucky star because we needed some joyous news after so many deaths.”

“Right. Then why do all the Asgardians hate me so much?”

“No one hates you, my heart. You are the adored youngest Prince. Everyone was devastated when you were lost. The entire realm mourned you. All feasts, festivities, and celebrations were canceled. Standards all over the palace and beyond flew with white flags as a symbol of our loss and grief. Everyone in the realm has been eagerly waiting to see you healthy and whole once more now that they know you have returned to us. We plan to have a massive celebration for all Asgard once you are well. You are loved, Loki.”

“Then why didn’t you come for me if you loved me so much?” he screamed.

Frigga put her hand to her mouth, stunned.

“I called for you,” Loki whispered. “Both of you. I called for Heimdall, Thor, anyone to rescue me. Why didn’t you save me?”

Odin looked away in grief and shame. Tears ran down the Queen’s face. She reached out to take her son’s hand, but he jerked it away and crossed his arms over his chest.

“We looked for you, my heart,” she said. “Heimdall searched tirelessly for you for months. I never stopped looking. Odin looked and looked from Hlidskjalf. We could not See you. We never would have left you if we had known you survived.” 

“No one has ever survived the Void before, Loki,” Odin added. “I am so sorry we failed you.”

Loki huffed in disbelief.

“How do you think I fell then?”

Odin sighed. It was difficult for him to remember. The horror was still so fresh in his mind. 

“The dark elves invaded Asgard,” he began. “It was during the Convergence, and we were taken completely unaware. They were in the palace, on the Bridge, everywhere. The heaviest fighting was on the Bifrost. You, Thor, and several of our best warriors met them head-on. You and Thor were both fighting a Kurse. The thing was nearly unstoppable. He had thrown Thor down and had turned toward you. He set off one of his implosion devices, and the impact tore the bridge asunder. You fell from the force of it. I ran as fast as I could to try to reach you. But I was too late. I could see no sign of you. In my rage, I obliterated the Kurse with Gungnir. The rest of the elves were defeated shortly thereafter. It was, without doubt, the hardest day of my entire life.” 

“And mine,” Frigga added. “As a realm, we all grieved. As a family, we were inconsolable. Thor made it rain for weeks afterward. We held a funeral for all the warriors who fell that day. Yours was the most difficult. The outpouring of love and respect you received when we sent your empty skiff to Valhalla will remain with me always.”

She gave Loki a long hug. Initially, he resisted. Finally gave in and let her hug him. He did not, however, return the hug. 

Frigga sat up and brushed the hair out of his face, then rested her hand on his cheek.

“You are my own. I would not have shared my heart, nor my seidr, nor my unconditional love with a son I did not birth.”

Odin spoke up. “Yes.” He grabbed his son’s hand in both of his own. “We are your family. In birth, in love, in every way. You are my son. Always.”

Loki wanted to believe them, but his head told him otherwise. He had much to ponder, but he would wait until he was alone. How could he find out the truth?

“Then take me to the Casket so I can prove you are lying to me.”

“I will bring it to you if that’s what it takes to show you that you are no Jotun,” his father replied. “But you must be stronger. You still have healing to do, and we will need to know who put these poisonous thoughts in your head, as well as who controlled your actions on Midgard.”

“Actions? What actions? I haven’t been to Midgard in centuries.” He was puzzled. 

“When you said you were there, and then you were here, you were not talking about Midgard?” the King asked.

“No. Allfather.”

Odin flinched at the honorific. 

“Then about where were you speaking?”

Their son looked suddenly uncomfortable and anxious. Subconsciously, he rubbed his shoulders. He started to shake. His breathing came in gasps as he thought of his torture. A panic attack.

Lady Eir was in the room within seconds.

“I really must insist Prince Loki not be questioned any further today. Being upset sets back his healing.”

“Of course,” the Allfather said. “We will return this evening and speak of more pleasant things.”

“I’m giving you more sleeping herbs,” she said to Loki. “The more you sleep, the more you heal.”

He grabbed his mother’s wrist, stopping her from leaving.

“Wait!” he said sharply. Then more quietly, “Please don’t leave me until I’m asleep.”

“Yes, my heart,” she said with a smile, sitting back down on the side of the bed. “I’ll stay as long as you want.”

That calmed him down. He smiled slightly, then fell asleep.

<><><>

It was late afternoon when he awoke again. Each time he awoke, he felt better and better. He inhaled deeply and raised his arms above his head in a long, satisfying stretch.

“You look better, my heart,” Frigga said. She had pulled a chair up to his bedside and was embroidering bright green cloth.

Loki looked stunned.

“You stayed.”

“Of course. There is no place else I would rather be.” 

His mother…no, Frigga. She could make him feel safe and loved as no one else could. And right now, he needed to feel safe and loved. He had just escaped Thanos’ clutches and still needed to process the horrors that befell him. Of course, according to Odin, he had made a stop in Midgard before returning to Asgard. Curious. Why didn’t he remember that?

Another healer brought him more bone broth. This time he was able to hold about half a bowl before he got full. 

“You’re making good progress, Prince Loki,” she said. She looked pleased with him. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

Was she really? He thought everyone on Asgard merely tolerated him or downright hated him. Could he be wrong? No, he knew his memories were real.

He realized she was awaiting a response. “Thank you,” he said to her. “I’m glad to be back as well.”

She left with a big smile on her face. 

“You’re thinking awfully hard over there. Perhaps you should rest your brain a bit,” Frigga said with a smile. “We want you well recovered. We have a huge celebration to plan, remember? You’ll want to be healthy so you can enjoy yourself.”

He smiled at her despite himself.


	4. Chapter 4

Loki slept, ate, and visited with the King and Queen. He slowly regained his strength and was finally able to eat real food, just not a lot of it. Lady Eir explained that the false memories should fade with time. Nevertheless, he was still confused about which memories were real.

One morning right after a light breakfast, Loki was sitting in a chair reading. He could hear bird songs right outside the window and smell the delightful scents from his mother’s flowers. He wore a small smile on his face.

Suddenly, the door to his room opened with a bang. Instantly Loki was on the floor crouching, his face to his knees.

“I’m sorry, master. I’m sorry,” he begged.

Thor was momentarily stunned. He had a bad habit of opening all doors too forcefully, usually Loki’s bedroom door. He rushed to his brother’s side.

“Loki, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” he apologized as he squatted down beside him.

He put his hand on his brother’s back to comfort him, only to have Loki scoot back. Terror was etched on his face.

“Forgive me, brother,” Thor pleaded, tears shone in his eyes before dripping down his face. “I didn’t think.”

The healer next in command after Lady Eir rushed to her Prince’s room.

“What have you done?” she snapped, the accusation sharp in her voice.

“I startled him. I’m so sorry, brother. I’m so sorry.”

“I would like you to leave.”

The oldest prince hung his head in shame, tears flowing freely down his face. He left, vowing to be a better brother.

Loki was given a mild sedative and walked through a meditative breathing exercise with the healer. He calmed down considerably, although he was still shaking uncontrollably as he was helped to bed.

Thor was not allowed back to see his brother again until Eir approved it.

<><><>

The King and Queen were informed of the events of the morning and were horrified by Loki’s response. They had hoped the terror was behind him. They realized his body was healing faster than his mind.

Thor’s punishment was taking embroidery lessons to nurture more grace. He did not complain. He worked diligently, determined to be more delicate with his actions. Life was not lived on a battlefield, his mother admonished. 

Loki, Frigga, and Odin spent hours together, with the Allfather and Allmother reminding Loki of happier times and good memories. He began to recall those moments, although it was still vague. Conversely, he could still remember being a Jotun, being denied by Odin, and hated by the realm. He felt like he was two people.

No one had spoken of torture, or Midgard, or Jotuns.

After another couple of days, Lady Eir declared him able to walk. Loki was ecstatic. He had grown bored with lying in bed or sitting in a chair and was starting to feel cranky. He regained the strength in his legs and arms. He started putting on weight. 

By the end of the week, he was well on the way to recovery. 

Late one afternoon, he was pacing the confines of his room. He was determined to recover as fast as he could. He was expecting his parents soon. He really looked forward to seeing them. 

The door opened gently, but instead of Frigga, it was Thor who joined their father. With them were two Einherjar. 

The two guards stayed by the door. Odin stood in front of them while Thor placed a gentle hand on Loki’s shoulder.

“I’m so sorry for scaring you before, brother,” Thor began. “I made this for you.”

He thrust out a lopsided, badly embroidered cloth with Loki’s name spelled in runes. He smiled proudly.

Loki was shocked. 

“You made this? Why?”

“To learn to be delicate. There is strength in being soft,” he quoted.

“Punishment?”

Thor hung his head. 

“Yeah.”

“Thank you, Thor.”

Loki took the cloth with a small smile. An insult was on his tongue for the shoddy work, but he did not say it. He recognized the gift for what it was. An apology and a promise.

“Loki,” Odin said to get his attention.

In his hands, he held the Casket of Ancient Winters.

Loki took a deep breath. This was it. Time to prove his Jotun heritage. 

Odin held the artifact out to him. With shaking hands, the youngest prince took it. As he held it, he felt…nothing. Oh, he could feel it was a powerful object, but he could feel nothing else. Looking down at his hands, he saw they were still the same color they had always been. He didn’t turn blue. He kept waiting and waiting, but he did not change.

The King eventually took the Casket back from him. 

“Does this prove to you that you are my son and not Laufey’s?”

Loki sat on the bed, a bewildered look on his face. 

“How do I have memories that are not real?” he asked. “They feel genuine. How is that possible?”

“That is what we need to find out,” Odin replied. “It is time for us to talk about what happened after you fell. I’ll be back after I return this.” He and the Einherjar left the brothers alone in the room. 

Thor sat down beside Loki and put his arm on his shoulders. Loki flinched but allowed the arm to stay.

“I don’t understand. I honestly thought I was a Jotun monster who tried to destroy their entire realm. What has happened to me, Thor?”

“We will figure this out together, Brother. You are not alone in this.”

Loki looked up into Thor’s eyes. He felt such love for this man. How could he ever have thought he hated him? Loki felt protected and safe having Thor there. 

Odin found them sitting on the bed several minutes later, Thor’s arm around his brother’s shoulder. He smiled to himself. 

“Are you strong enough to discuss this now?” he asked softly.

Loki looked at him, then Thor, and took a deep breath. “I am.”

“I’ve asked that your mother not be here. I suspect there will be things that will be difficult for her to hear. But I can send for her if you would like.”

“No, I agree. It was…unpleasant. She shouldn’t have to hear the details.”

He moved to the chair on one side of the bed. Odin pulled the other one over across from him. Thor stayed on the bed.

“Can you start with when you fell? What do you remember?” 

Loki looked down at his feet. “I remember falling,” he said quietly. “I fell and fell and fell. I don’t know if it was for hours or days. Or months. I didn’t think I would ever stop; I thought I would keep falling forever. But I finally stopped. I landed on a rock, barely bigger than a village house. I couldn’t move. It felt like everything in my body shattered from the impact. I must have lost consciousness because the next thing I remembered was waking up in a dark cell.” 

He took several deep breaths, trying to center himself. Odin put a hand on his knee for support.

“Take your time, Loki.”

“Th-Thanos.” Loki shuddered. 

Odin looked shocked. 

“Thanos, the Titan?” he asked.

Loki nodded his head.

“He was the one who found me. He wanted me to tell him how to get into Asgard. How to get past our defenses. He wants something in the weapons vault. I refused. That’s when…” He took a deep breath. “That’s when the torture started.”

His hands started shaking as he described the non-stop torture. “Thanos has these creatures that call themselves his ‘children.’ One of them particularly seemed to enjoy my pain. He spent the most time hurting me.”

He described being crushed, the blood loss, the broken bones, the burns, the whips, the acid, the cuts, and rips. He told them about the “operations” on his organs while he was still awake. He detailed the hunger and thirst. 

“I couldn’t take it anymore. It was just too much. I thought I was strong, but…”

“Loki,” his father said. “No one could have stayed strong in the face of such cruelty. Just remember you are here now, and you’re safe.”

Loki nodded and resumed. 

“It wasn’t just physical torture. Ebony Maw, one of Thanos’ Children, is telepathic. He made me think no one loved me or cared that I was being tortured. He got in my head and told me I was better off dead.”

Loki was explaining in a detached way. It was the only way to cope.

“He came in one day with a staff that had a glowing gem at the end of it,” he continued. “When he touched my head with it, it was like every self-doubt, every negative thought I ever had was magnified a thousand-fold. It felt like my brain was boiling. That must have been what he used to plant the memories. I could remember everything he told me as though they’d really happened. I suddenly felt so angry. He used that stick on me over and over until I knew nothing.”

Odin looked over at Thor, still on the bed. They made eye contact, and Thor nodded.

“Can you describe this staff?” Odin asked.

“It was long with a curve at the top and had a blade under the curve. The orb in between them glowed blue.”

Thor finally spoke. 

“That was the scepter he used. When we were around it, it made us angry and caused us to fight and almost become violent.”

“Who used?” his brother asked. “You’ve seen it before?”

Odin shook his head.

“What are you not telling me? What has happened?” Loki demanded.

“That is for another day, my son. You are exhausted from your tale, and you must rest. Lady Eir is thinking of releasing you tomorrow. You don’t want to give her any reason not to.”

“No. Father.”

Odin smiled. Loki found calling Odin his father didn’t feel as strange as it had when he’d first awakened.

“I brought a book you both used to love as children. Would you like me to read it?”

“The one about the dragon and the raven?” Thor asked with a chuckle. 

“Indeed.”

Loki knew this was his father’s attempt to take his mind off his pain. It was probably a good idea to focus on something else. He got back on the bed and leaned into the pillows. Odin started the story.

“In the highest mountain, covered in clouds, lived a dragon. Its scales were emerald green, and it had wings of gold…”

Loki was asleep in minutes.

<><><>

He awoke to find a dinner table set in his room with four chairs around it. His growling stomach reminded him he hadn’t eaten in quite a while. 

Lady Eir entered the room. She smiled brightly.

“You are looking well, my Prince.”

“It is thanks to you, my Lady.”

“I’m keeping you one more night; then I’m releasing you in the morning. But you must promise not to tire yourself.”

“I promise.”

“Don’t try to do too much. I expect you to rest frequently.”

“I will.”

“And I want to see you back so I can recheck you in three days.”

“Yes, my Lady.”

They both smiled fondly at each other. 

“Yes, I know I sound like your mother,” she said. “But I was there when you were born, and I’ve treated every scraped knee and seidr burn.”

She bent down to whisper, “Don’t tell Prince Thor, but you’re my favorite.”

He winked at her as she went to the door. She was met by Odin, Frigga, and Thor. She bowed and left the family alone.

They were all in a jovial mood, a mood that was contagious.

“We decided we could not have another family meal without you, so we brought supper to you,” his mother said.

The evening went well. Loki was relaxed being around them. His real memories were surfacing more and more. This was his family. 

<><><>

The next morning Loki was up early. He was ready to leave the healing wing. Lady Eir gave him final instructions not to over-exert himself, to come back in two days for a check-up, and to let her know immediately if he started feeling poorly or started having headaches.

Frigga helped him gather the few books he had. As he reached the door, Loki suddenly panicked. 

“Wait! I’m not ready to see anyone,” he explained. “I – I can’t. Not yet.”

“That’s perfectly alright, my heart. We’ll take the back corridors to our wing.”

They slipped out without Einherjar escort, taking the back way. A couple of times they had to hide until someone had passed. Loki enjoyed it. It was like sneaking around doing something mischievous.

Finally, they reached the royal wing of private rooms. His mother took him to his apartment. Nothing had changed in the long time he had been gone. It had been aired out, and fresh linens were on the bed. He moved to the open balcony in the sitting room just to smell the fresh air and gaze out at the private garden, his mother’s pride and joy.

Frigga joined him, putting her hand on his shoulder.

“I’ve missed you so much, my heart,” she said gently. “A part of me died when I thought I’d lost you. You’ve brought me back to life.”

He gave her a big hug, smelling the lavender and jasmine on her clothes. He had missed his mother’s comfort.

They broke the hug when a servant knocked on the door. Loki jumped at the noise, looking around for someplace to retreat. His mother put her hand on his shoulder to calm him.

“That must be breakfast,” she said with a smile.

She let the kitchen maid in and directed her to set up their meal on the balcony. After doing so, she left mother and son alone. 

“It’s such a beautiful day today. I thought we could eat out here and enjoy the sun.”

“The sun feels good on my face,” Loki replied. “It feels like years since I’ve felt warm.”

Frigga took his hand from across the table and held it as they ate. Even though he was nearly an adult, give or take a few centuries, Loki found he didn’t mind being fussed over and babied. 

After they ate, Frigga insisted he lie down for a short nap. Honestly, he wasn’t even sleepy. However, lying down in his own bed for the first time in over a year felt like heaven. He snuggled down into the bedclothes, listening to the birds outside, and dozed.


	5. Chapter 5

Being alone in his own apartment again felt peculiar. It was familiar but distant. Finding himself with nothing to do made him restless. He felt the need to get up, go out, do. At the same time, he loathed the thought of being around anyone other than his family. He felt so changed. He was not the playful boy who fell from the Bifrost Bridge. He needed to find himself again, discover who he was. The duality of having fake memories in his head while remembering the real ones was jarring. He remembered how convinced he was that he was a Frost Giant monster, but he also remembered he was a prince. It was confounding.

He spent the rest of the afternoon, re-familiarizing himself with himself, his old life. As the sun was starting to cast long shadows, his personal maid Maija let herself in quietly.

“Prince Loki,” she said softly. 

He jumped, knocking over the chair at the desk where he was sitting, startled that she’d been able to sneak up on him. His heart pounded hard, and he had to take several deep, calming breaths.

“Maija.”

He forced a smile at her. She was much older than his mother and had taken care of him for centuries. She kept her white hair in a severe bun and always wore an apron over her smock.

“I didn’t mean to scare you, my Prince. I was told to get you dressed for the evening meal.”

She looked at him guardedly. She had heard the rumors of his insanity and violence. 

“Very well. I am once again your dress-up doll. What would you like to put me in tonight?”

She blew out a breath and relaxed. That was the prince she remembered. 

“They said it would be just family, so I think the pale blue tunic will do nicely.”

She laid out the clothing on his bed and left to wait in the other room while he changed. He looked in the mirror and frowned. The shoulders of his tunic were now too big, and the trousers gapped at the waist. He needed to put back on the muscle he had before. He looked like a scarecrow.

Maija came back in to appraise him, adjusting the straps and sleeves.

“I suspect all your clothes will need to be re-fitted,” she tutted. “I can’t have you out in public looking like an urchin.” 

He snorted. Leave it to her to criticize him while making him feel cared for at the same time.

“I’ll get started on your wardrobe tomorrow morning. After your breakfast, I’ll make measurements. You need to eat more!” 

“I’m doing my best, Maija.”

If only she knew how little he had eaten in the past year. 

“See that you do, my Prince. Maybe eat two plates tonight.”

It was her own gruff way of saying she had missed him.

<><><>

Dinner that night was joyful. Thor regaled them with a story of walking in on Fandral having sex with a scullery maid in a closet. Fandral stammered a bit at having been caught, but the maid merely kept going after telling the Prince to either “leave and shut the door or come in and join” them. Both he and Fandral were mortified by the thought, so he quickly shut the door. 

“Don’t go near the closet next to the scullery until it’s been thoroughly cleaned,” Thor warned them with a wink.

They all laughed. Loki had his first honest-to-goodness belly laugh in over a year. His laugh had always been contagious, so the more he laughed, the more everyone else laughed, which made him laugh even harder. By the end of supper, their sides hurt, and they had to wipe away happy tears. 

They walked back to their apartments, smiles on their faces. Odin suddenly pulled his youngest into a tight hug and kissed him on the forehead. He pulled away with his arms still on Loki’s shoulders.

“You have no idea how much I have missed you,” the King said.

Keeping the mood from getting too serious, Thor mussed Loki’s hair. “Aww,” he said. “I’ve missed you, too. Brat.”

“Chicken.”

“Cow.”

A familiar squabble that resulted in another round of laughter.

Odin cleared his throat. “If you are up to it tomorrow, I think it is time we discuss Midgard.”

Loki sighed. “I don’t remember anything, but I’m up to it.”

“The Council wants to be in on the discussion as well.” 

Loki’s face drained of color. 

“I – I don’t know that I’m ready to face so many people,” he admitted.

“No worries, then. We will wait until you are prepared.”

His son relaxed. He hadn’t realized how anxious he’d become to be around others.

“We will bid you goodnight,” Odin said. “Sleep well, son. Thor, you, too.”

Their mother and father went to the right of the hall, while Loki and Thor took a left. 

“I really have missed you,” Thor admitted.

“And I, you.”

“It’s too early to retire. Would you like to go meet with our friends? Surely you know you are safe around them.”

“Friends? Our friends?”

“Yes, our friends. Sif, Hogun, and Fandral have been asking after you, as well as Frode and Sten. Volstagg threatened to march into the healing wing to see you, and his wife Bielda wants to make you meat pies and boar pudding. Will you come to my apartment to see some of them?”

Loki considered for a moment. He supposed he should start seeing other people besides his family and the healing staff. Still, the thought of many people scared him.

“How many of them?” he asked.

“Just Sif, Fandral, and Hogun.”

“Alright. A few minutes can’t hurt, I guess.”

“Excellent!” Thor slapped him on the back. Immediately, he looked horrified. “I’m sorry, brother. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“I’m not a fragile twig, Thor. I won’t snap in a light breeze.”

“Good!” Thor put his hand around the back of Loki’s neck, and together they headed to their apartment wing.

As soon as they opened Thor’s sitting-room door, there were shouts of excitement. 

Frightened, Loki took a huge step back, reaching for the knives in his interdimensional pocket that he could not yet access. He quickly realized there was nothing to fear.

No one seemed to notice his short panic. Fandral launched himself at the younger prince, picking him up with a tight hug. 

“This is rather undignified, Fandral,” Loki exclaimed.

There were laughs all around, as Fandral put him down.

“That’s our Loki!” he said. 

Hogun put his fist on his heart in a salute to his prince. Then he clasped Loki’s right arm. “It is good to see you alive and hale.”

“That’s about as much enthusiasm as you’re going to get from him,” Fandral commented. 

Hogun actually stuck his tongue out before smiling.

Lady Sif hugged Loki in a firm, sisterly way. 

“We missed you so much. We were devastated when…Well. Our hunting trips weren’t nearly as much fun without you to pull a prank or two.”

The five of them made themselves comfortable in Thor’s outer room. They caught Loki up on court gossip and scandals. Fandral had quite a way of spinning a tale, and soon they were all laughing as though they had not missed any time together.

After nearly an hour, Loki let out a wide, loud yawn. 

“Aw,” Hogun said. “The little one needs his rest.”

This earned him an insincere growl from Loki. 

“He’s still recovering,” Thor said. “It’s best we let him rest. I hear Maija will be re-fitting his wardrobe in the morning, and he has to be on his toes around that one!” 

They laughed and hugged again, allowing Thor to walk his brother to his rooms.

“Now go straight to bed, Brother.”

“Yes, ‘Father,’” Loki snickered.

Thor put his hand around the back of his brother’s neck again and rested his forehead against Loki’s.

“I am so glad to have you back.”

He kissed his younger brother’s head and left him on his own. It had been a remarkably good day.

<><><>

After another pleasant breakfast with his mother, Maija took Loki’s measurements, all the while tisking and shaking her head. She made him promise to eat a lot of food so he could gain back his weight, making less work for her. “If you care about me, Prince Loki, you will eat several meals a day.”

He promised he would eat like a bear.

Alone in his rooms, he looked back on the evening. His confidence had grown being around his friends. He felt able to confront the Council. He sent word by one of the Einherjar.

Odin entered soon after.

“The Council is assembling. You know you don’t have to do this if you aren’t ready.”

“I know. But I feel like, if I keep putting it off, it will be harder to see them.”

“I will be right there. You have nothing to fear.”

“Yes, Father. I’ll answer any questions they have.”

Odin warned him the questions might not be pleasant, but Loki assured him he was fine with it. 

They walked in silence to the Council chamber, Odin glancing at his son to make sure he was all right. At the door to the chamber, Loki suddenly grabbed his father’s arm. 

“Wait!” 

He took several deep breaths trying to calm himself. Finally, he nodded, and they opened the doors. All assembled rose and crossed their arms across their chests, fists on their hearts. They re-took their seats as soon as Odin and Loki took theirs, Odin at the head of the table, and his son to his right.

Lord Delling cleared his throat and stood to address the royals.

“My King. My Prince.” He bowed his head to each. “We, the Council, are delighted to officially welcome you back, Prince Loki. We have some questions about your time on Midgard if you feel up to it.”

“Not at all, Lord Delling. Although the last time I remember being on Midgard was a couple of centuries ago. I went with Mother, Thor, and Uncle Vili to Norway to see the site of the Jotun War. That’s what I remember about my last trip to Midgard.”

Lord Hedin scoffed. 

“You have something to say, Councilman?” Odin asked.

Hedin rose.

“Indeed. I find it hard to believe the Prince cannot remember trying to conquer an entire realm!”

“I what?” Loki asked. He looked at his father with a shocked expression. “I tried to take control of Midgard? Why?”

The Allfather raised a hand to quiet him. 

“Hedin, you are making a dangerous accusation about a Prince of Asgard. Keep in mind that Lady Eir has already cautioned all of you that Loki had his memories tampered with as part of the torture he endured.”

Hedin bowed his head.

“Apologies, my Prince. It just seems hard to understand forgetting something as important as leading an army of vermin against another realm.”

“An army? Why have you not told me any of this?” he asked his father.

“We wanted to see if you regained any of your memories from that time. I didn’t want to unduly influence your remembrances if you had them.”

“Please, tell me what I did,” Loki implored.

“Shall we tell you about how you plucked the eye out of a…”

“Hedin!” Odin shouted, slamming his hand on the table. “Enough!” 

“I need to know what I did. I’m not a child!”

“No, but neither are you of age. I am trying to protect you, my son,” Odin said. “This is something best discussed privately among family, not with those who want to gossip and tell salacious stories.” He looked pointedly at Hedin.

The Prince sighed forcefully, sitting back in his chair in a pout. 

Lady Desma asked, “Then you don’t know how you got to Midgard?”

“No, my Lady.”

“Or how you acquired the weapon you used?”

“Weapon?” He looked pointedly at his father as he answered, “No, my Lady.”

“Are there any more questions for your Prince?” Odin’s question made the Council know there would be no more questions.

“If not, then Loki, you are free to leave. We will talk this evening at supper.”

Loki could tell he’d been dismissed. He stood, acknowledged his Father, then the Council, and left. 

He stomped back to his apartments in a foul mood. He loathed being treated like a child! Thor was allowed to do anything he wanted, but Loki had a leash around his neck.

He slammed the door to his sitting-room once he was inside.

“My goodness,” his mother said. “I take it the Council meeting did not go well?” 

She was standing at his desk, putting fresh flowers on it and tidying up his books.

Loki threw himself down on the chair nearest her with a huff.

“Father always treats me like a child!”

“He knows you’re not a child, my heart. He just wants what is in your best interest. Tell me what happened.”

“Hedin said I led an army in Midgard, but Father stopped him from saying anything further. I want to know what I did!”

“Calm yourself, Loki. Deep breaths.”

“I’m sick of breathing! And when can I take this damn bracelet off? I haven’t done any seidr in over a year, and it’s itching to come out!”

“It will come off when Lady Eir says you are ready.”

“Fine. I’ll make her take it off right now.”

He jumped out of his chair and headed for the door.

“Stop!” Frigga demanded. “You come right back here and sit down. Perhaps people wouldn’t treat you like a child if you would stop acting childishly.”

He obeyed, sitting down with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

“Now take a moment to think. You usually don’t do anything without thinking things through. We told you that bracelet was channeling your seidr into healing you. What if you remove it, only to find yourself feeling much worse? What if that bracelet is the thing that is letting you heal so well?”

She was right, of course. Her reasoning deflated his ire. 

“I’m just so bored. I feel like…”

“Like what?” she asked gently.

“I feel so changed. I have little interest in the things I once enjoyed. And I can’t even use my seidr.”

“Lady Eir wanted to see you again today. Let’s go together and see about removing the bracelet.”

He nodded in agreement. 

“But don’t be disappointed if it must remain a few days longer.”

He agreed, although he really hoped it could come off today. Not being able to use his seidr at his will was like cutting off an appendage. He practically ached not being able to access it.

Eir declared him mostly healed. She still cautioned him to take it easy and not go off on any adventures just yet. He acquiesced. 

“Oh, and I supposed you want the bracelet off now?” the Healer asked with a smile.

Loki held out his wrist to her. That damn bracelet could not come off soon enough. She produced a small set of snips and cut the bracelet in two places. It fell to the floor with a clink. 

He took a deep breath as his seidr came flooding back to him. It spread like a warmth throughout his body. He closed his eyes and reveled in the joy of being complete again.

“Now don’t do anything big, Loki. Try something small to start,” his mother encouraged. “Try a simple flame.”

He held his hand out, palm up to produce a small flame. What roared forth instead was a massive green blaze that lit the entire room in seidr. Both Frigga and Eir had to back away. 

Loki looked stunned. He doused the fire by closing his fist.

“That wasn’t small, my Prince,” stated Eir. 

“I tried to do a small spark. Honestly. I-I don’t know how that happened.”

“Let’s try something else then,” the Queen suggested. “How about levitating that chair in the corner? Gently.”

He concentrated on the chair, willing it to rise slightly. Instead, it flew to the ceiling with such force it smashed into bits.

“Hmm,” Eir hummed. “Perhaps you need to work on your control a bit. I’m sure it will be fine. You’re just out of practice. I see nothing untoward that would affect your seidr. Just go slowly.”

He acquiesced, and he and his mother left the wing. Instead of going back to their living quarters, she led him to one of her gardens, the private one that was only for her family.

They sat down in the shade underneath one of the old apple trees.

“Tell me truthfully, Loki. Were you actually trying to be gentle, or were you flexing your muscles, so to speak?”

“Believe me, mother. I was trying to be gentle. It feels different now.”

“Different in what way?”

He thought for a moment, trying to put his finger on precisely what he felt.

“Almost…bigger. More powerful. Protective. It feels like I could explode an entire star!”

“Let’s not test that theory,” she said with a smile. “I think it’s time you start seeing Samir again.” 

“That’s probably a good idea. I’d like to know what precedent there has been for someone’s seidr changing so drastically.”

“Tomorrow then I will contact him for an appointment. For now, let us take lunch in the garden and start plans for your return celebration. Our people will not wait much longer to see you.”

They planned what was turning out to be a massive fete. Frigga was in her element; she loved hosting. But more importantly, she loved her son.

The arrangements went well into the afternoon. Mostly they were his mother’s ideas, but occasionally Loki added his own thoughts. He nixed anything he felt would be too grandiose or embarrassing. 

When the shadows grew long and the air started cooling, Rahel, the Queen’s personal maid, came out to fetch them. It was nearly time for supper. 

Mother and son made their way to their dining room, still making plans and giggling. Odin met them at the door.

“I was afraid Thor and I would be dining alone this evening.”

Frigga explained, “We got caught up on plans for Loki’s return to Asgard celebration.”

“Excellent. What have you come up with so far?”

The Allmother and Allfather chatted away about the plans for the party. Thor threw in a few suggestions, mostly silly ones to make everyone laugh. Toward the end of the meal, Loki grew quiet. He had forgotten he was to find out about his Midgard trip. Now he was anxious to find out what had transpired.

“You’ve barely eaten, Loki,” his father noticed. “Maija will not be happy until you gain weight.”

In answer, he merely responded, “Midgard.”

The mood turned somber.

“Yes. I suppose it is time to tell you what happened.”

The four of them retired to the royal couple’s sitting room, arranging themselves comfortably, except for Loki, who sat stiffly on the edge of the divan.

“What we know is this,” Odin began. “The Midgardians found the Tesseract and were studying it.”

“The Tesseract? Isn’t that an Infinity Stone?”

Odin nodded.

“How could mortals handle such an object?” Loki asked.

“They never handled it directly,” Thor answered.

“They were blindly tampering with things beyond their comprehension,” his father huffed.

He paused to center himself and continued.

“You appear to have been transported there via its energy.”

“How?”

“We know not, but we suspect Thanos was able to open a portal with it. You were very determined to take the Tesseract for yourself. Of course, we now know that it was not for you. Thanos, we assume, wanted it. He tasked you with taking it. You appeared wielding a staff carrying what I believe is an Infinity Stone called the Mind Stone. You were no doubt under its influence and whomever was controlling you used it to control others into doing your bidding. Their bidding.”

He paused so Loki could take in the information.

“I used dark seidr to open a portal to send Thor to retrieve you. He said you had changed dramatically. Thor?”

Thor picked up the story from there, leaving out parts like subjugating people into kneeling and plucking out a man’s eye. He was also vague about the Avengers, saying only there were some people who “helped” him capture his brother.

“There was no reasoning with you, which is not like you at all. I’m sorry, brother. I should have realized you were not yourself. I was so taken aback by your actions that I lost perspective,” Thor admitted. “You looked sickly the entire time. Crazed. Power-hungry. You managed to use the Tesseract to open a portal allowing an army to attack a major Midgardian city.”

“An army?”

“The Chitauri.”

Loki gasped. 

“Thanos used them as his subordinates. They did his dirty work for him. They are Thanos’ army, not mine.”

“We know that now, son,” Odin interjected. “But at the time, they appeared to be under your command. Continue, Thor.”

“I helped fight off the Chitauri. They caused a lot of destruction to one of the cities.”

“And deaths?” Loki asked.

“And deaths,” his brother confirmed.

“I have blood on my hands,” Loki said quietly, looking down at his hands as though they were offensive.

“No, my heart,” his mother said. She moved to sit beside him on the couch. 

“He made me a murderer!” Loki shouted as he stood up abruptly.

Odin went to him, putting his hand on his son’s shoulder.

“Look at me.”

Loki obeyed.

“Have you ever willingly hurt an innocent?”

“Well…no.”

“Have you ever killed a being other than in self-defense?”  
“No.”

“Have you murdered anyone without conscience before?”  
“No!”

“Well, there you have it. If you were a murderer, you would feel no remorse, no guilt. You’ve never willingly killed, nor will you ever. You are no monster, my son. Thanos did not turn you into a murderer. He is the killer. He merely used you as a weapon. Do you blame the sword for killing?”

Loki shook his head no.

“Then how can you blame yourself? Please put your mind at rest.”

There was a logic in what his father said. It did put his mind at ease. Somewhat. He sat back down beside his mother with his head hung low.

“I just feel so lost, so…broken. Even my seidr is changed. How do I get back to who I was?”

“What do you mean your seidr is changed?” the King asked.

His son held his palm out and a huge green flame roared forth. He quickly doused it.

“That was meant to be a tiny flame. I can’t control it.”

“He will see Seidr Master Samir as soon as I can arrange it,” she said to Odin. “He will help you rein it back in, my heart,” she said gently to her son. “As for the rest, you need time. Time to reacquaint yourself with who you really are, not who you were forced into thinking you are. You need to be patient with yourself. Be kind to yourself.”

“I know what will help,” Thor said boisterously. “After breakfast tomorrow, we will go spar.”

“Spar? Thor, I was asleep for weeks. I can barely walk to my apartment without getting winded. I can’t spar!”

“Then we will go to our training room to exercise after breakfast, and you can start regaining your stamina and strength.”

“That actually sounds like a good idea,” the King said. “It will aid you in rebuilding yourself. Pretty soon you will be out-running Thor once again.”

It did sound good to Loki. He enjoyed being active. All this lying around and sleeping had left him feeling off-kilter.

“Alright, Thor. After breakfast.”


	6. Chapter 6

It felt good to push himself. Thor made him exercise harder than he ever had before. Yes, he tired quickly, but Loki was amazed to find he was able to exercise at all. Being called scrawny was good motivation. They agreed to work out together again the next morning. His father was right; it did help remind himself of who he was.

Loki had just enough time for a short soak in the tub to ease his tired muscles before he had a quick bite to eat. He did not want to keep Samir waiting. The man had little patience for tardiness, prince or no prince.

He walked into the large private sitting room precisely on time. Naturally, Samir was already waiting.

“Prince Loki,” the seidr master exclaimed. “How very good to see you!”

He saluted the prince before holding out his arms for a hug. Loki gladly gave him one. 

Samir was shorter than the prince. He was ancient, even by Asgardian standards. His grey, wispy hair circled his mostly-bald head. His nose was crooked from having been broken too many times as a lad. His voice was rough and his eyes cloudy with age, but his mind was still sharp and his wit even sharper.

Loki considered him a friend, confidant, teacher, and father figure. Samir had become his seidr tutor when he was still quite young. His mother had taught him what she knew, but Loki quickly outgrew her tutelage. 

She told him often that he was destined to be a great seidman, perhaps one of the most powerful in an age. He nearly cried when she told him she could no longer teach him, but his disappointment soon turned to excitement when he learned the legendary Samir would be his private tutor. 

Samir and Loki formed an instant bond, brought together by their love of seidr and penchant for mischief. The old man taught the prince many a practical joke. Most people knew Loki was a brilliant jokester; they just didn’t know he and Samir bounced ideas off each other. It was their little secret.

“The Allmother tells me you’re having a bit of trouble with your seidr,” the old man said. “Show me.”

He took Loki through a series of simple spells and charms. Every time he tried to do them on a small scale, they tripled or quadrupled in strength.

“I can’t control it!” Loki complained after nearly an hour of tests. 

Samir had remained quiet, only telling the prince which task to perform. Finally, he offered his expert opinion.

“My prince,” he began. “You are already in control. Your seidr has merely evolved. Your power has grown impressively in your time away. You’ve always had the potential, but something has triggered a growth in power.”

“What?”

“Hmmm.” Samir tapped a gnarled finger on his chin. “Were you cut off from your seidr at any point?”

“For over a year.”

“That could be it. Did anyone use your seidr against you?”

“Not that I am aware of.”

“Did anyone else try to gain access to your seidr?”

“Yes,” Loki admitted. “Thor told me I used my seidr and shapeshifting abilities while I was on Midgard, but in actuality, it was not me, but someone else who had subjugated my mind.”

Samir nodded. “That makes sense then.”

“But how was that…that creature able to use my seidr when I was not in control of it?”

“That creature controlled your body, yes? Your seidr is a part of your body. It responded as though it were you because it was you. Well, your body.”

“What do I do now?”

Samir rubbed his hands together with glee. “Now we discover just how powerful you’ve become!”

<><><>

Loki could barely contain his excitement as he told his family during dinner that night what he was able to accomplish. There were things he had only dreamed about doing before that now felt like child’s play.

“Take a breath and eat, son,” Odin chided with a smile. The king sighed with contentment. His youngest was more like himself than he had been in the weeks since his return. He looked over at his queen who was practically beaming with joy. She felt it, too. Their son had truly returned.

<><><>

Lord Hedin had a reputation for being a shrewd, ruthless businessman. He flaunted his wealth for all to see. Thor once surmised that he did it to make up for his shortcomings in the bedroom. His wife had left him for a Vanir, and the man never quite lived it down.

His son, Walid, was every bit as arrogant and shallow as his father. He strutted around the city as though he owned it, sneering and turning his nose up at those he thought were beneath him. 

Walid was older than Thor by many centuries. He had washed out at being a warrior and now employed several Asgardians as printers and bookbinders. He owned the biggest bookshop on the realm. 

Never one to pass up an opportunity to cozy up to royalty, Walid decided to deliver the books Loki had ordered personally. He wanted to see for himself how insane the Prince was. The gossip in the town had turned from fear to pity as whispers had come from the Palace about how Loki was not crazy, merely tortured. 

Walid just had to see for himself. His father suggested that Loki feigned memory loss about trying to conquer Odin’s pet realm. Walid thought he could stir the rumors up again, making himself look like he was more important than he really was. 

It was morning when he made his way to the doors leading to the suite of royal apartments. The first guards allowed him to take his packages to the prince’s apartment, but the Einherjar guarding Loki’s suite stopped him.

Vas, the guard, knocked. When Loki answered, “Enter,” he allowed Walid inside.

“Thank you,” Loki said. “You may place them on the table there.”

The prince was deeply engrossed in a book while he waited for Thor to get him for their sparring session. He was sitting in his favorite chair, completely riveted in this tome on seidr. He’d arranged to borrow it from the palace library in Vanaheim, and it was due back soon. He paid no attention to the man carrying the packages.

Walid gaped; he was offended that he’d not even been acknowledged. He was not going to let this youngster treat him like a mere servant.

Fuming, the businessman violently knocked over the wooden chair next to him. It hit the floor with a loud clatter. Startled, Loki leapt from his overstuffed reading chair. He threw the handiest thing he had on him: his book. It hit Walid squarely in the face, breaking his nose with a crunch.

“What is wrong with you?” Walid screamed. 

Breathing hard and shaking, Loki realized he was not being assaulted. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. 

“You’re as insane as everyone says you are,” Walid continued to yell.

The shouts drew the attention of the guards, who entered with weapons drawn to protect their prince.

Loki was furious; he snarled. “I am not insane! You surprised me. How dare you come into my home and toss my belongings around.”

“I am not some lackey you can ignore. I am Walid, son of Hedin!” he spat.

Thor heard the ruckus from the hallway and ran to protect his brother.

“Who is this intruder?” Thor bellowed. “Guards, remove him at once.”

“I’m handling it, Thor,” he told his brother.

“Nay, you are still recovering. I will take care of this upstart.”

“I am not an upstart. I am Walid, son of Hedin.”

“You have no business in my brother’s chambers.”

“Thor, I am quite capable of handling this, this…person on my own. I am not an invalid.”

“No, he’s crazy!” Walid screeched. “He broke my nose!”

“My brother is not mad! Vas, take him to the healing wing. Keep him there until I can take him to my father. I’m sure he will be most displeased that his youngest son’s recovery was disrupted by a delivery man.”

The guards did as they were told, escorting an angry Walid to the healers. He yelled and complained the entire way.

Once he left, Thor turned to his brother, who was seething with anger.

“There. Now you can relax. I’ve taken care of him for you.”

“I did not need you to take care of him, Thor. I am quite capable of handling an unruly, self-righteous jerk on my own.”

“But Brother, you don’t need to be bothered by the likes of him. Not while I’m around.”

Again, Loki took a deep breath. This time it was to calm his anger.

“Thor,” he said in a tight voice. “Do you think me an invalid?”

“Of course not,” he answered with a smile. Then he realized Loki was serious. “You’re angry?”

“Yes, I’m angry. I’m not a fragile piece of glass that is going to shatter. I can handle my own business!”

“Oh. I’m sorry. I was just trying to keep you safe,” Thor admitted quietly. “Having lost you once proved just how precious you are to me. Forgive my overprotectiveness.”

This deflated all of Loki’s anger. 

“I apologize for shouting at you,” he answered back.

“Am I forgiven then?”

“Only if you will forgive me.”

“Done.” Thor wore a bright smile. Loki could not help but return it.

“You really broke his nose?”

“Looks like it. I really hope I didn’t damage the book.”

They looked at each other and then roared in laughter.

<><><>

The following week was much the same as the weeks before. Exercising to the point of exhaustion in the morning with Thor; lessons with Samir in the afternoons; evenings with his family.

He hardly had any time to himself, but he did manage to pull one small prank. Being well behaved had gone on for too long. He sneaked into the kitchens before breakfast early one morning and hid himself. He charmed the forks to start thrusting at the spoons in a lascivious way. Finally, one of the servers approached so she could set the royal dining table. She squeaked when she saw the lewd cutlery act. The kitchen staff gathered to watch. Loki was certain they would be furious. However, they all started laughing.

“Prince Loki is truly home,” Gerda, the head cook, said, with tears in her eyes. “Norns bless him.”

That was not the expected reaction, but it still felt good to stretch his mischievous muscles. 

At breakfast that morning, the welcome home party plans were finalized. Their extended families were expected, both from the neighboring village in Asgard, as well as from Vanaheim. 

Very few people had more than a glimpse of their returned prince. Asgard was practically abuzz with excitement. Adding to the sense of elation was the repair of the Bifrost Bridge, which was now fully functioning.

The big day finally arrived.


	7. Chapter 7

Loki was awakened far too early in the morning by Maija, who had thrown open the curtains in his bedroom to let in the rising sun.

“Are you planning to stay in bed all day?” she scolded. “It’s your big day.”

Loki groaned and rolled over in bed. He had been so excited last night that he’d barely slept.

“Yes, and as the guest of honor, they can’t start without me. I need more sleep.”

“That’s not going to happen.” She flung the bedclothes off her prince. 

“Maija!”

“Up, up, up! Get bathed quickly. I must dress you in your new clothes and fix that mop of hair of yours. You will have breakfast with your parents. Your aunts, uncles, and cousins will be here any minute. Your grandfather, too. I can’t have them thinking I don’t take care of you enough to get you up on time.”

“Yes, Maija,” Loki grumbled. “That’s what they’ll think if I’m late. ‘Bad Maija! She can’t get a lazy prince out of bed.’”

“I’ll have your new suit laid out as soon as you bathe. Quickly. Go!”

She started to leave him to change clothes, but she turned around.

Softly she said, “Thank you for gaining weight so I didn’t have to take in all your clothes.”

“It was all for you, Maija. All for you.”

She grinned widely. As she turned to leave again, Loki shot a small spark of seidr at her rear end, making her squeak and jump.

“Prince Loki!” she admonished. 

He merely gave her a cheeky grin. Maija left shaking her head, grumbling about spoiled princes and respecting elders.

Once he was alone, he made his morning ablutions and dressed hurriedly. Maija stepped in to adjust the buckles and straps. For the first time, he wondered what had become of his old clothes that he had on when he’d fallen.

He couldn’t muse for long.

“Now that your hair is finally long enough, I’d like to pull it back. The shine has come back. I’ll make it look nice. Princely,” Maija said.

She had been badgering to get him to grow his hair out for the longest time. He usually preferred it short, but he’d not had time for a haircut since he’d been back. Maybe it was time to try something new. New hair for a new prince.

She brushed, pinned, and fixed until she finally declared him presentable.

“Now hurry along to breakfast. You have a full agenda today,” she said. She started to leave but decided to back out the door. She had to keep an eye on that mischievous prince.

Loki took a moment to look in the mirror. Not bad. He wasn’t as muscular as he had been before, but he wasn’t as scrawny as he had been when he’d returned. 

He started for the door when a murmur outside caught his attention. Slowly he walked to the open window. What he saw astounded him.

Thousands of banners lined the streets, all bearing his colors of green and gold. All shops and businesses were closed, and people were already queuing outside, jockeying for the best places to see. The Asgardians were in high spirits, laughing, dancing, or singing. 

He felt excited, humbled, and slightly embarrassed. What if something went wrong? Or he said something stupid? What if he yielded to the temptation of mischief and pulled a prank on the wrong dignitary? What if? What if? What if? It made his head spin. Suddenly, it was all a bit much. He had to back away from the window and sit down on his bed. He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He flashed back to the time he thought he was a Frost Giant, deserving of execution. This day of celebration almost felt too good to be true. What if it were?

<><><>

A quarter of an hour later, his mother found him sitting on his bed hyperventilating.

“What’s wrong, my heart?”

She rushed to his side.

He looked at her with wide, frightened eyes. “What if none of this is real, and I’m still in Thanos’ prison? Or I’m really Laufey’s son?” 

His mother gave him a big hug. “Oh, Loki. I assure you this is real. This is your life. This is what you deserve.”

“But how do I know for sure?”

Frigga went to the outside door to his apartment and spoke softly to the Einherjar there. She returned, saying, “we have time for a quick side trip. Let’s go.”

He didn’t question her. He just followed along. He eventually realized they were headed to the healing wing. Outside the doors, Lady Eir waited.

“I got your message,” she said. “Please come to my office.”

They led the way to the head healer’s office and sat down in front of her desk.

“I’d wanted to show you these scans, Prince Loki, but you seemed to be doing so much better that I decided against it. Your mother tells me you are having doubts. That’s quite understandable. This is a big day, and even if it’s fun, it is also stressful. So here are the scans from when you first arrived from Midgard that night many weeks ago.”

She held up a device that projected a hologram of his brain. 

“Notice the tiny dark dots on your temporal lobe?” she asked, pointing out the area. “These minute lesions are in the area that controls your memories. They indicate quite clearly that your memories were tampered with. There was not just anecdotal evidence that your memories were altered, but physical evidence as well.”

Loki studied them closely. He hadn’t even thought to ask if there was medical evidence showing his memories had been changed. He exhaled loudly and sat back in his chair.

“Does this put your mind at ease, my Prince?”

He smiled. “It does. Thank you, my lady. I do feel better about it.”

“I’m glad I could help.”

“Since we have missed our breakfast,” Frigga said, “why don’t we stop by the kitchens and see if we can grab a roll and some cheese?”

They left the healing wing with a huge weight off their shoulders.

<><><>

“We have just enough time to make it to the reception rooms,” Frigga said, hurrying Loki. 

“Who will be there besides family?” he asked.

“No one else,” she replied. “My father, my sisters, and their children. Plus Odin’s brother and his children.”

“Ugh. Not Kort.” Loki grimaced at the thought of his cousin being there. “He’s so arrogant.”

“Nevertheless, you will show him how a true prince behaves, and you will not stoop to his level. Or pull any pranks on him.”

“Not even a little…”

“No pranks! Not today! Promise me.”

Loki pretended to think about it.

“Loki!”

“Alright. No pranks. I’ll be good.”

“Good. We’re here.”

She kissed his cheek and motioned for the Einherjar to open the double doors to the reception room. It, too, bore his colors. 

Loki stood taller, head held high, and entered the room like he owned it.

“Ah, there’s the man of the day!” King Njord said. Loki bowed slightly to the Vanir King, as his station dictated, before smiling and walking up to the man.

“Grandfather. I’m so glad you were able to come.”

“I couldn’t miss this day. My grandson has returned to us.”

“Hello, father,” Frigga said, kissing him on the cheek. She turned to the women beside him.

“Freda, Freja, you’re looking well.” She kissed both on the cheek. 

“And you, sister.”

“Aunt Freja, Aunt Freda, thank you for coming.”

“It’s been far too long since I’ve seen you, Loki,” Freja said. “My, how you’ve grown. You’re practically a man now.”

Internally, Loki groaned and rolled his eyes. Externally, he smiled tightly and thanked her.

He made the rounds of the room, welcoming his family to the celebration and playing host. He was delighted to see Uncle Vili and Aunt Pallavi again, as well as his twin cousins Frode and Sten.

Loki was relaxing and enjoying himself. Then he saw his cousin Kort. They had a history. Kort was his Aunt Freja’s son and was close to Thor’s age. He was arrogant and classless. He said what he thought, regardless of decorum. When they were younger, Kort delighted in tormenting Loki every chance he got. It made visits to Vanaheim unpleasant.

“Just couldn’t stay dead, huh?”

“I was never dead to begin with, cousin,” Loki answered coolly.

“Semantics. You know what I mean.”

“If only you could say what you meant, there would be no need for interpretations.” 

He was just itching to conjure spiders down his smug cousin’s trousers or have mead dropped on him or something equally nasty. Thor saw a confrontation brewing from across the room and rushed to save his little brother.

“Ah, cousin Kort, I’m surprised you were able to make it today, what with your busy agenda,” Thor said brightly.

Kort had a reputation as a lay-about with no real interests other than eating and whoring.

“What? And miss my baby cousin’s big day?” Kort sneered.

Thor pulled him close and whispered in his ear, “If you cause any trouble or harm to my brother, I will be obligated to avenge him. And you won’t like the punishment I have planned. Not one toe out of line today, Kort. I’ll be watching you.”

Thor stood, smiled, and gave Kort a hard slap on the back. He and Loki laughed sweetly. Kort looked very uncomfortable. 

“Would you like some refreshments, brother?” Thor asked.

“Why, yes, brother. I think that would be lovely.”

They left their cousin in the corner pouting. Hopefully, they would neither see nor hear him for the rest of the day.

<><><>

After a brief visit with family, the hour had come to herald Loki’s return to Asgard. He, Thor, and his parents made their way up to a high balcony at the front of the palace. This was where the King made all important announcements; it was where he announced the beginning of the Jotun War, the huge trade agreement with Nedavallir, and the births of his sons. It was also where he had announced Loki’s death.

The four of them awaited their introductions. Loki was quite nervous.

“You look wonderful, my heart,” Frigga said lovingly. “I’m so glad Maija was able to pull your hair back. It looks so dignified. And shows off your cheekbones marvelously.”

“And your smooth, hairless face, too,” Thor joked, rubbing Loki’s cheek.

“Thank you so much, Thor, for making sure I never get too conceited.”

“That’s what brothers are for.”

A majestic fanfare announced the King and Queen. They joined hands and stepped forward onto the balcony. The crowd quieted, bowed their heads, and saluted the Allfather and Allmother. 

“Rise, people of Asgard,” Odin said. He was using what Loki called his King Voice. It was much more powerful and regal than his normal voice. 

“Today Queen Frigga and I are delighted to announce that our youngest son, Prince Loki, has returned to Asgard.”

The crowd roared. Odin held up a hand to quieten them.

“His journey back to us has been arduous and perilous. It has redefined him and us. It has made him stronger, more resilient, and more prepared for what may face us all in the future. I beseech you all to welcome home Prince Loki.”

Odin motioned, and Loki joined them on the balcony. Immediately the crowd quieted again. They not only saluted their prince with their right fists over their hearts, but they all took a knee, too. Every one of them. 

Loki was awed. 

“You will need to tell them to rise,” Frigga whispered.

“Oh.”

Usually, he was very practiced and prepared. Now all thoughts were gone from his mind. The speech he had rehearsed was forgotten in a moment of stage fright.

He cleared his throat. 

“Please. Rise, people of Asgard.” Loki figured it might be time for him to cultivate his own Prince Voice.

“I am very happy to see the golden spires of Asgard once more.”

The crowd shouted their approval. 

“I endured pain and horror to return to you.”

Several members of the crowd let out an “Aww.”

“I am humbled and honored by your demonstration of respect. I will try to live up to it. I promise always to have your best interests at heart and always to put your needs above my own.”

He waved, and the crowd boomed with cheers. Thor joined them on the balcony, and together the four of them waved and smiled to their people. 

After several minutes of accolades and adoration, the four of them left the balcony. Immediately Loki threw himself down in a chair. 

“That was nerve-wracking,” he said.

“But well-spoken,” his father replied. “You have them eating out of your hands now.”

“Do you need something to eat before you start your tour through town?” his mother asked.

“Ugh, I forgot about the walkabout. Yes, I think I need a quick bite. That cheese is long gone now.”

A servant brought them all small morsels of food. Loki ate well and washed it all down with a watered-down mead.

“We’ll be in our private lounge with the family when you return,” Frigga said. She pushed him toward the door, and Loki headed down the stairs.

As he did so, the palace staff lined the hallway. As one, they saluted. Then they broke into applause. Most of them had not been able to see him yet. Many spoke as he passed by:

“Welcome back, Prince.”

“We’re glad you’re home.”

“Prince Loki, we’re happy to see you.”

On and on it went until he reached the outer doors of the palace. The Einherjar opened the huge double doors, and Loki started his journey.

Once outside the palace gates, the Asgardian people greeted him with smiles, waves, and small tokens of appreciation. He was gifted with flowers, trinkets, and baked goods. He thanked them all. Fortunately, three Einherjar were walking behind him to relieve him of his burden when his arms got too full. 

Occasionally, he felt a pat on his ass and would turn to see a brazen maiden smirking or winking at him. Once a man even copped a feel. He was beginning to feel like a piece of meat, but he carried on. It was expected of him to greet his people personally. 

After an exhausting three hours, Loki finally made it back to the private lounge.

“That took a long time,” Thor remarked. 

Loki threw himself on the couch.

“Mother and Father have gone ahead to change,” he told Loki.

Loki sighed. “I have been kissed, patted, and groped. Why did you never tell me our people were so grabby?”

Thor laughed. 

“It’s something you had to experience for yourself.”

“I’m exhausted. Can I go to bed now?”

“On no, brother. You still have a huge banquet to attend, followed by much socializing with the attending dignitaries, lords, and ladies. Then there will be dancing. Lots of dancing. You will probably not be going to bed until tomorrow sometime.”

Loki groaned.

“If you’re lucky, you won’t be going to bed alone.”

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

They laughed and headed downstairs to change into more formal attire.


	8. Chapter 8

Feasts in Asgard were long affairs. It took nearly three hours to finish eating. The constant calls for toasts dragged things out. Loki was feeling the effect of so much mead. He tried to slip out to get some air, but Volstagg dragged him back.

“Loki, my friend,” he said boisterously. “It’s good to have you home, lad. My wife has made some boar pudding for you. She’ll drop it by tomorrow. Now let’s toast!”

He put a tankard in the Prince’s hand.

“To Loki’s return!” Volstagg bellowed.

“To Loki’s return!” shouted a chorus of guests.

After schmoozing for another hour or so, the dancing began. Loki was more than a little tipsy and was exhausted as well. He was obliged to dance most of the dances, and there was a long queue of ladies waiting to take their turns. 

Just before dawn, he started yawning. He tried to suppress it, but the fatigue caught up with him. Normally he couldn’t wait to be an adult. Now, however, he used his youth to his advantage. 

“I’m so sorry, ladies. I cannot dance any longer. It is way past my bedtime. You know, I need my rest so I can grow up to be as big as Thor.”

The women expressed their disappointment, but they allowed him to leave unimpeded. He headed toward the private wing and was nearly asleep on his feet by the time he reached his apartment. He couldn’t even be bothered to remove his boots before he fell onto his bed. 

<><><>

He awoke in his bed, dressed in his nightclothes, covered warmly. He yawned and stretched. A smile appeared on his face as he remembered the day before. He’d had such a good time. Even the walk through the town was fun. He wondered what had become of all his gifts. 

Stretching once again, he got out of bed and threw open the drapes. The sun was high in the sky. Banners bearing his colors still swayed gently in the breeze. Businesses had reopened, and the townspeople were going about their day. 

He realized with a start that he really did want the best for these people. He felt the weight of being their prince for the first time in his life. These were his people, and he would fight to the death for them. It was a sobering realization.

Before he got lost in his ruminations, his bedroom door flew open with a bang. Thor took one giant leap and landed on Loki’s bed with a huge bounce.

“It’s about time you got up, Loki,” he said. “Grandfather and Aunts Freja and Freda are going to be leaving soon and wanted to say good-bye.”

“Oh shit!”

Loki sprang into action, hurrying into the en suite to start getting ready. He came back into his bedroom incensed that Thor was still lounging on his bed.

“Don’t just lie there. Help me find something to wear!”

Thor did just that, finding a simple emerald green tunic to go with his every-day trousers. Loki threw the clothing on in a rush.

“Don’t forget to brush your hair,” his brother chuckled before throwing a hairbrush at him.

A few quick strokes through his long black hair and Loki decided he was presentable enough. He ran out the door only to realize he had no idea where they were. He ran back into his apartment and squarely into Thor. 

“Small dining room, second floor,” Thor told him.

Loki sprinted down the stairs and reached the dining room, out of breath, but hopefully on time.

Bursting through the doors, he saw his family about to sit down for lunch. 

“I’m so glad you could join us, Loki,” Odin said. He had a scowl on his face that said ‘you should not have been late’, but he said nothing else. 

“My apologies, everyone. I lost track of time.”

“Thor was supposed to get you half an hour ago,” his mother told him. 

He raised an eyebrow to Thor as his brother walked in, taking his place at the table. Thor smiled at him sweetly.

Njord spoke, “My daughter tells me your power has grown in the past few years. No doubt that is the Vanir side of your heritage. My mother was a powerful seidkona. I hope you take after her.”

“As do I,” said Loki.

“I would love a demonstration after lunch today,” his grandfather said.

“Oh, I thought you had to leave soon.”

“No, we’ve decided to stay until tomorrow, providing your father does not mind.” 

Of course, Odin minded. He and King Njord may have called a truce over two millennia ago when the Allfather married Frigga, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t any animosity leftover from when they were enemies. Nevertheless, decorum and manners dictated that Odin continue playing host.

“Not at all,” Odin said. “Stay as long as you like.”

“It’s settled then,” Njord said. “After lunch, you can show us what you’ve mastered.”

“Prepare to be impressed,” Frigga said. “Loki is really quite talented. Far more so than I.”

The small gathering of family continued to chat about inconsequential things when Thor realized there was someone missing.

“Why did cousin Kort not join us?”

“He had business to attend to,” Freja answered.

“Business?” Loki asked.

Frigga grabbed his knee under the table and squeezed, letting him know he was not to start anything regarding his cousin. Loki nearly let out a squeak but remained calm.

“Yes, he said he had a new business venture in the capital.”

“I wish him well,” Thor said. Loki thought it best not to make any other comments.

Lunch passed without any further incident.

<><><>

They decided the large field behind the palace was the right place for Loki to demonstrate his seidr power. The farmers were between crops, so there was no worry about destroying any plants. In addition to Odin, Frigga, Thor, Freja, Freda, and Njord, a small group of townsfolk gathered. They were curious about what the royal entourage was doing. 

Loki had his back to them all, facing the large expanse of land. He took a deep breath, raised his arms, and created a huge wall of flame reaching the tops of the trees and spreading across the field. Several townspeople gasped.

When he dropped his arms, the fire disappeared, and the field remained unscathed. 

“Impressive,” his grandfather said. “Can you do more than illusions?”

“Of course.”

Loki raised his arms once more, palms up, and gestured with his fingers to come. Two of the trees behind the field swayed and groaned. They pulled up their roots and walked across the field toward Loki. He held up his hands to stop them. They replanted themselves at the opposite edge of the field near the onlookers. 

“Very impressive indeed!” Njord said. 

“I had no idea you possessed such power, my son,” Odin said.

Loki smiled. He loved being able to impress his grandfather. Amazing his father, however, made his heart sing.

“More!” demanded Njord.

Loki thought for a moment and then threw caution to the wind. He leapt into the air and transformed into a raven, flying over the crowd, which was growing. From a raven, he changed into a bilgsnipe without changing back into his original form first. From the bilgsnipe, he changed to a horse and ended his transformations with a snake. The snake spiraled up from the ground and transformed back into Loki. The crowd broke into applause.

“Extraordinary!” his grandfather pronounced. “Most shapeshifters never master the challenge of changing their body mass. Moreover, I have never seen anyone shift from one thing to another without going back to their original form first. You are far too young to have achieved this level of seidr. You must come back with me to Vanaheim to study with our greatest seidkona.”

“Absolutely not,” Odin snapped. “He is too young to go off realm to study.”

“His talent is being wasted here by not having the proper instruction!” Njord countered.

“He has proper instruction here with Samir.”

“That amateur? My grandson needs a real seidr education.”

Back and forth they went, getting more and more heated. Loki finally spoke up.

“Don’t I get a say in any of this?”

“No,” both his father and grandfather barked.

“Well, I’m going to have my say anyway. I would love to study in Vanaheim, but not now. I’ve only just gotten back, and I still have much to learn about myself and my responsibilities here. Can we keep my studying open for a later time?”

“I suppose that would be acceptable,” Odin agreed.

“Very well,” Njord said. “You will let me know when you are ready for a real education.”

“I promise.”

The crowd dispersed as the family started their walk back to the palace. Thor and Loki lagged behind the rest.

“I didn’t know you could do anything like that,” Thor said quietly.

“I didn’t know I could shift like that until just now.” 

“Really?”

“I felt like I could do it, so I tried.”

“Bold move, brother. Bold move. Especially in front of grandfather.”

Loki felt like he was walking on air for the rest of the day.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There is a brief sex scene at the end of this chapter if you are squeamish about such things.

Asgardians were big believers in exercising and staying fit. They might have to defend their realm at a moment’s notice. Even business owners, workers, and palace staff enjoyed staying in shape.

One of the main ways they liked working out was through running. Asgardians were excellent runners, and value was placed on those who could run fastest or farthest. They regularly used The Paths; these were very long ovals with trees and plants growing on the outside and in the middle. Similar to a track, Asgardians of all ages ran on one of these Paths at all hours. Children had a shorter, smaller Path and most looked forward to the day they could graduate to one of the longer Paths. 

The Path closest to the Palace was Loki’s favorite. It had gentle hills and curves over the course and smelled of jasmine or roses along the way. There were tall trees in the middle, so birds preferred to build nests there. The sound of bird song was often his accompaniment to an early morning run.

He had fallen into a routine these past few weeks. Running in the very early morning, followed by a hearty breakfast. Then on to working out or sparring with Thor. He had a much-needed bath and soak after that, followed by lunch. Lessons with Samir occupied his afternoons. He always took supper with his family and finished his evening with reading, research, or visiting friends with Thor.

A routine was just the balm Loki’s soul needed. It helped him heal both his body and his mind. His real memories had become much sharper, and his false memories had faded to nearly nothing. Maija no longer badgered him about eating more. He had nearly regained his muscle mass and weight from before the fall. 

<><><>

“This is a fine day for hunting,” Thor declared. “Don’t you agree, brother?”

Instead of being dressed for sparring, he was dressed for hunting.

“I suppose. What shall we hunt?”

“There is a bilgsnipe terrorizing a small farm on Alfheim. The Alfar don’t like killing things, but they’re fine with asking us to do it. I thought we could use a little practice. Your hunting skills are rusty. It shouldn’t even be an overnight trip. What do you say?”

“I’m in. Let’s go!”

They met the Warriors Three and Lady Sif at the entrance to the palace. 

“A fine day for hunting, wouldn’t you say?” asked Volstagg. 

“I’m glad you could join us, Loki,” said Sif. “Just make sure any tricks you pull are directed at the others, not me,” she whispered conspiratorially. 

Loki smiled and winked in response. Technically, he didn’t agree to her request so he couldn’t be held responsible if, say, her sword turned into a sausage. 

The six of them gathered their gear and mounted their horses; they headed toward the Bifrost Bridge.

This was the first time Loki had been to the Bifrost since his return. He had not been actively avoiding it, but he hadn’t actively been seeking it out either. As his horse took its first step onto the bridge, Loki pulled back hard on the reins. He flashed back to the time he fell. Panic set in, and he found he could not go any farther than that first step. 

The others had trotted easily onto the bridge and were about a quarter of the way to Heimdall when Thor noticed his brother was not beside him. He looked back and saw Loki frozen with fear. He raced his horse back to his brother.

“It’s okay, brother. I’ve got you,” Thor said gently. “You’re safe.” 

He grabbed the harness of Loki’s horse to make sure it didn’t spook.

“I didn’t…I didn’t think it would bring back so many bad memories,” Loki said shakily.

“You can do this. I will walk your horse with you.”

“I can do this.” He said that more to himself than to Thor. “Just give me a minute.”

He took several deep breaths and then nodded to Thor to proceed. Together the two of them rode their horses very slowly down the Bifrost. Loki looked straight ahead, making sure he never looked down. They eventually made it to the Gatekeeper; the others had long been waiting. No one mentioned the panic attack.

“Good job,” Thor said.

Loki let out the breath he had been holding. 

“I did it.” 

“Ready to make the trip?”

“Yes, I am now. Let’s go.”

Heimdall inserted Hofund and started the six friends on their journey to Alfheim.

<><><>

Alfheim was a beautiful realm inhabited by the light elves. They were peaceful beings who had never been to war with any of the other realms. They loathed killing but realized sometimes it was unavoidable. That’s why they called on Asgard to send someone to help with their bilgsnipe trouble. The one causing problems was particularly large; its antlers spread as wide as a man is tall; its hide was thicker than the strongest Asgardian leathers. 

Two regal elves greeted them at the Bifrost landing site and showed them the direction of the beast. They didn’t want to know how it was killed; they just wanted it gone.

It was a short trip by horseback to the large field. There were clear signs of trampling. One particular corner showed a lot of recent activity.

“Okay, Loki. Time to earn your supper,” Thor said with a smile. “Find us that bilgsnipe!”

Loki took the lead. A couple of times he had to get off his horse to find the trail again, but he never completely lost it. In less than an hour, he found the cave in which the creature was sleeping.

“Well done,” Fandral whispered.

Tracking the beast was the easy part. Bilgsnipes were notoriously difficult to kill because of their thick hides. The trick was to strike one of the few soft places: eyes, ears, or mouth. That also meant getting close enough to hit one of those places successfully. 

The six of them silently crept close to the mouth of the cave. When they were in position, both Hogun and Sif raised their swords; one was to strike the eyes, and the other was to go for the mouth. Volstagg, unfortunately, took one more step and cracked a branch. The snap awakened the beast immediately.

“Move out of the way,” Thor shouted.

Loki was in the direct path of the behemoth. Instead of running, however, he raised his right hand, clenched his fist, and the bilgsnipe exploded. Parts and guts flew everywhere, especially on the hunters. However, they weren’t focused on that; they were focused on the fact that Loki had just killed a huge creature with one hand.

“Uh, how long have you been able to do that?” Fandral asked.

“Well, I didn’t have a bilgsnipe to practice on, but I figured, in theory, it should work.”

“In theory?” Thor shouted. “In theory! You never actually tried it? You were directly in its path. What if it hadn’t worked? You would have been trampled!”

Thor was apoplectic. The thought of losing his brother again was too much to bear.

“I knew it would work, brother. Calm yourself. I have been practicing every afternoon for months now.”

“It was reckless, Loki. I don’t ever want you to put yourself in harm’s way like that again!”

“It wasn’t reckless. If it hadn’t worked, I would have thrown a shield around us all and protected us.”

“Could you not have shielded us from this muck?” Volstagg asked, picking bilgsnipe innards from his beard.

Loki smirked. 

Suddenly, Fandral shrieked. “That beast had worms!”

The others started flailing around, trying to get the worm-infested detritus off their clothing and out of their hair and beards.

Loki, who was completely clean, turned his back to them and grinned.

“Loki!”

<><><>

Loki’s mastery of his powerful seidr grew as the months passed because of his rigorous training. While he didn’t have much time for a social life, he did manage to spend a little time with some of the lovely ladies in town. One evening he even entertained two of them at the same time. Unfortunately, Thor chose a very inopportune time to burst into Loki’s bedroom. 

“Brother, we have…” Thor began as he threw the bedroom door open with a thud.

There he saw his brother in bed kneeling behind a gorgeous blonde on her hands and knees, taking her doggie style. At the same time, a beautiful brunette was kneeling behind him, thrusting and moaning, her arms wrapped around the prince’s naked body.

“Don’t you ever knock, Thor?” Loki asked. 

“Uh…” Thor uttered. “Sorry. I didn’t…You can do two at the same…”

“Can we discuss mechanics tomorrow, please?” 

“Yes. Right. I’ll leave. Now.”

Thor left in a hurry, deep crimson on his cheeks.

“Close the door,” Loki shouted at him.

The eldest prince did so, not looking in the direction of his brother. While he was certainly no prude, Thor cringed at the thought of his little brother having sex with two maidens. Or having sex at all.

“I apologize for my brother’s interruption. Now, where were we?”

The brunette behind him gave a thrust, causing Loki to moan. 

“Ah, yes. Right there.”


	10. Chapter 10

Odin called for both his sons early one morning. Loki had just finished his morning run and had not yet had breakfast. Thor usually eschewed running in favor of getting in a little more sleep.

“My sons. Join us for breakfast,” Odin said. He was chipper and happy for such an early time of day.

As the four of them sat down to eat, Odin explained the reason he wanted to see them.

“We are going to take a family trip. Just the four of us.”

“What? No guards or servants?” Loki asked.

“Just us,” his father replied.

“Isn’t that a little risky?” Thor questioned. 

Usually, when any of the Royal Family traveled, it was with an entourage of many, both for security and for addressing their needs.

“We will only be gone for two days. We’ll take what provisions we need to eat and drink.”

“It will be fun,” Frigga added.

“Where are we going?” the eldest Prince asked.

“To Norway on Midgard.”

“Are we going to see the Asgard/Jotun war site again?” Loki asked, eagerly.

“We will be close by, but no, we’re going for another reason altogether.” 

“Are you sure it’s wise for Loki to go to Midgard, Father?”

“Of course. He’s completely innocent of any wrong-doing.”

“But the people of Midgard may not see it that way.”

“Bah! They won’t even know we’re there.”

“Why are we going?” Loki questioned.

“We’ll talk about it when we get there, my heart,” his mother answered.

“We will leave the day after tomorrow, right after a very early breakfast,” the King ordered. “I’m having Midgardian clothing made for each of us. They will be delivered to your apartments, so please wear them for our departure.” 

The Princes were both excited about returning to Midgard. Loki did not remember anything from his last ill-fated journey to Midgard, so he was eager to see all the advances Thor said they had made.

It was difficult to sleep both nights, especially after the strange new clothing had arrived. Both princes were up before daybreak on the day in question, dressed in their Midgardian clothes. Both had on denims and soft long-sleeved shirts. Over the shirt, Loki wore a green quilted vest, while Thor donned a second shirt in red flannel. He had rugged brown boots, while Loki’s were black and sleeker, but no less durable. Both had thick heavy coats, which they brought with them to breakfast in their parents’ suite. 

“Don’t you both look adorable,” Frigga said with a huge smile. 

She was dressed in a thick blue dress of wool with heavy leggings underneath and stylish black boots over those. Odin also sported denims and heavy boots, but he wore a high-necked heavy sweater instead of a shirt.

They all grinned at each other for a moment, taking in the sight of themselves wearing what they considered odd clothing. 

“Let us eat quickly so we can head to the Bifrost before most of our people start their days,” Odin ordered.

They finished promptly and headed straight to their awaiting horses. Loki still hesitated when getting on to the Rainbow Bridge, but he was getting more confident each time he traveled. 

Heimdall was there to greet them at the end of the bridge. 

“I will make sure your horses get back to the stables,” he informed his king.

“Thank you, old friend.”

Frigga directed her sons to remove their saddlebags; these contained an extra set of clothing, as well as toiletries, food, drink, and currency. 

“These are heavier than they look,” Thor complained. 

“Then give them to me,” Loki said.

He threw his two bags into his interdimensional pocket followed by Thor’s two. 

“Now we can travel light.”

The Gatekeeper whisked them away, and in no time they found themselves in the middle of a small field covered in a light dusting of snow. The sun was low in the sky, and the wind was brisk and icy. They quickly threw on their heavy coats. Odin pointed the way, and the family of four made their way quietly to the outskirts of a small town.

They approached a small house, opening the gate and letting themselves in.

“Do we know whose house this is?” Thor asked in a whisper.

“Yes,” Odin answered. “We do. It is ours.”

He smiled at the confusion on his sons’ faces. Taking a key out of his coat pocket, Odin unlocked the door, and he and Frigga entered, leaving Thor and Loki outside. They were stunned.

“Should we follow them?” Loki asked.

“What choice do we have?”

They entered the small dwelling to find Odin muttering about how to add light to the space. Thor, the most familiar of his family with the ways of Midgardians, flicked on a switch by the front door. The place was washed in artificial light. 

They were standing in an open space that held two couches that formed an L and a wall of bookcases filled with books and knick-knacks. Beyond that was a small dining table with four chairs. Behind that was a tiny kitchen. 

“Welcome to Kilen,” Odin said.

Frigga took off her coat.

“We may as well get comfortable. Through there is your room,” she said.

“Which one of us?” Thor asked.

“Both of you. You’ll be sharing a room for now.”

The brothers looked at each other with raised eyebrows. They had never shared a room before. It should be an interesting couple of days. Loki poked his head into the room and noted, “There’s only one bed.” 

“You’ll work it out,” their mother said. 

“There is your bathing room. Our bedroom and bathing room are back there.”

“Are you going to tell us why we’re here?” Thor asked.

He looked less than pleased by the accommodations.

“Yes, but first let us get settled. Then there is something for you to see,” their father answered.

Loki removed the saddlebags from his hidden pocket. Odin and Frigga took theirs to their bedroom, leaving the princes in the main room of the house.

“What do you think?” Loki whispered. “Are we being exiled?”

“Why would we be exiled?” 

“I don’t know! Why are we here in this hovel with no security and no help?”

“I’ll have you know,” Odin said, as he entered the room, “that this is no hovel. It is a standard dwelling here in Kilen. While we are here, we need to fit in. It would not do to have us stay in a grand house. We would draw attention to ourselves.” 

“Are we hiding out?” his youngest son asked.

“No, my heart,” Frigga answered. “We are not hiding. We are merely making sure the accommodations are suitable, should the need arise.”

“What kind of need, Mother?” Thor queried.

“We will speak of it later,” Odin said. “Have you put your things away?”

The sons went to their shared room and put away what few belongings they had brought. There was one chest of drawers, which they shared. 

“One of these is for keeping food cold,” the King said.

He was in the kitchen opening cupboards and drawers. 

Thor said, “It is the large white one, Father.” 

“Ah!”

Odin put their food and drink provisions in the refrigerator. 

“Now let us don our coats again and go out. There is something you must see!”

They stepped out the back door into the freezing cold once more. The night was clear, and the stars were in abundance, but another sight awed them.

The sky was ablaze with a long band of intense greens, pulsing above them. 

“It’s beautiful,” said Thor.

“What is it, Father?” Loki asked.

“It is called the Aurora Borealis. It’s a natural phenomenon in the upper climes of Midgard. It happens only during specific times of the year.”

“It’s breathtaking,” Frigga whispered.

They watched the light show above them as it danced with bright greens. Occasionally a ribbon of dazzling reds and purples appeared among the green. They were mesmerized by the display.

They stood in the dark and cold for a long time. Reluctantly, their cold noses and frozen toes forced them inside.

“That was worth the trip!” the youngest prince said, excitedly.

Thor agreed. “It’s a shame we don’t have anything resembling this on Asgard. I guess this makes Midgard truly unique.”

“Aye, that it does,” the Allfather said.

Someone’s stomach growled, reminding them it was time for their mid-day meal. 

“See what Halldis packed for us to eat, Loki,” his father ordered. “You’ll find it in the large white box.”

Loki pulled out several containers of food and brought them to the table where his family was already seated. Fortunately, Halldis also packed plates, utensils, and napkins. They ate until they were sated; Thor re-packed the remaining food and put it back in the fridge.

“Now what do we do?” Loki asked. “It’s dark outside, but it’s too early to sleep.”

“There are many Midgardian books on the shelves. I believe there are also some games,” his mother replied. “Would you like to try one of them?”

The two brothers agreed it might be fun to learn how to play some new games and went to the shelves to decide what to try.

“Pictionary?” the eldest prince asked.

“It looks as good as any,” his brother said with a shrug.

They all sat around the table as Thor read the instructions aloud. They teamed up, Loki and Odin against Thor and Frigga. They laughed hard as they attempted to draw some of the things on the cards. They had no idea what most of the items were, but part of the hilarity was trying to figure out what things were and then how to draw them. Two hours passed as they bonded over the silly game. After declaring a tie, they decided to retreat to the couches in the sitting room.

They each picked a book from the shelves and sat down for some quiet time. They read in companionable silence, occasionally sharing a passage or asking a question, but mostly they just enjoyed being a family together. It was relaxing not being a Prince or King or Queen, but just being themselves.

Loki made himself comfortable while reading, putting his feet up on the couch, curling up in a relaxing position. Before long, he was sound asleep on Thor’s shoulder. Eventually, Odin followed suit, his feet on the table, a book in his lap, and his head back on the cushions. When he started snoring, Frigga and Thor looked at each other and giggled.

“Like father, like son, hmm?” she asked with a grin.

After allowing them to sleep another hour or so, the sun was up, and Thor was hungry.

He yawned loudly and stretched, awaking his sleeping brother. 

“Oh, I fell asleep.”

“Yes, and used me for your pillow,” Thor said in mock irritation.

“Sorry.”

“Husband?” Frigga said gently. “Wake up. The sun is shining, and you wanted to dine in the village this morning.”

“I wasn’t asleep,” he said. “I was merely resting my eyes.”

Thor smirked at his mother.

“Yes, dear. Shall we get ready to walk into the village?”

“Excellent idea,” said the King. “It will be an adventure for us all!”

“Do you have coin to pay for this meal?” Thor inquired.

“Yes, we obtained the local currency..”

Loki jumped up and raced to the bathroom before Thor could get in. The others took their turns cleaning up and were ready shortly thereafter. They gathered in the main room with their coats in hand. 

The trek to the small town was short. The air was clean and crisp, but not as cold as the previous night. The sky was blue with wispy high clouds. The sound of bells rang in the distance as goats were moved from one field to the next. They smiled at the people they saw in passing. In return, they mostly received suspicious looks. 

“They must not be used to visitors here,” Thor said.

They located a restaurant on the main street that was serving breakfast. Despite the early hour, there were many locals inside. The four of them were seated near a window from which they could watch the village come alive.

They placed their orders with a heavily accented waitress. It took quite a while to decide what to get because only Thor was even remotely familiar with what certain foods were. Mostly they stuck to fish and meats with fruits on the side, although Loki just had to find out what a muesli was. 

By the time the food arrived, they were ravenous. They ordered a massive amount of food, which did cause a few stares. However, Asgardians were a bigger people with higher metabolisms. They ate a lot.

“Don’t throw the cups on the floor to ask for another,” Thor advised them. “It’s not considered polite.”

“It’s not polite on Asgard either, son,” Frigga scolded. “We are well aware this is not one of the taverns you and your friends like to frequent.”

Loki tried his brother’s coffee, declaring it bitter and unfit for consumption. He finished off his meats and pieces of fruit before tackling the muesli. He watched a couple at the other table and copied what they did, adding syrup and milk. He took one bite and grimaced. 

“This is like milky horse feed,” he exclaimed.

Thor tried it next. 

“Gah! How can they eat this?” 

Odin decided to try a small bite.

“Our horses are fed better than this.”

Frigga wisely declined even trying it.

Odin proudly paid for the meal, announcing he had euros to spend. They got more odd looks as they left; people whispered things about foreigners and odd customs. No one even suspected just how foreign the four really were.

<><><>

They chatted while walking back, mostly about the scenery and the people. Loki had many questions for Thor about things like autos and what kinds of jobs Midgardians did, how things in their house worked and airplanes, and on and on. Thor did his best to answer, but he was nearly as clueless as the rest of them were.

Odin unlocked the door as they reached the house. Loki was still firing questions at his brother at a rapid pace; he was incredibly excited to interact with the strange Midgardian people.

“Loki,” Frigga said. “Take a breath, darling. Thor doesn’t know the answers to all your questions. Perhaps one of the books here will have a history of Midgard. Why don’t you look?”

Thor gave his mother a look of gratitude. Sometimes his brother’s enthusiasm and curiosity were exhausting.

Loki immediately went to the bookcase and started scouring titles. He spent many minutes looking while the others chatted. He noticed several books that he’d previously skipped. He sat on the floor and started reading.

“You found something, my heart?”

“The History of Norway. You’re in here, Father. Did you know that their people used to worship you as a deity?”

“A deity?” Thor asked incredulously.

“Yes, I did know that and don’t sound so shocked. We were unlike any peoples that their primitives had ever before encountered.”

“They don’t know their history very well. This book is full of half-truths and outright fiction.”

“It was a very, very long time ago,” Odin stated. “No one in Midgard remembers us being here.”

“Maybe you should tell them what really happened.”

“No, Loki. Let them have their stories.”

His youngest went back to his book and the others resumed talking. Soon Thor let out a long yawn. Loki followed suit. Then Odin.

“I think it’s time we retire for the evening,” Frigga said.

“Retire for the mid-day, you mean,” Loki said with a smile.

They said their goodnights and went to their respective bedrooms. It took a while for Loki and Thor to work out the logistics of sharing such a small bed. They finally agreed to sleep back to back. Their feet hung off the end, but they managed to fall asleep.

Later in the afternoon, Thor awoke to Loki thrashing in the bed. He gently shook his brother to wake him, but Loki seemed deeply ensconced in the dream. Thor had to shake him very hard to get him out of the nightmare. 

With a start, Loki sat up in bed. He was panting.

“It’s okay, brother,” Thor said, rubbing his back. “It was just a dream.”

“No, it was a memory,” his brother said. 

“About Thanos?”

Loki nodded his head.

“I can’t imagine how bad it was for you.”

“No, Thor. You really can’t. Think of the worst pain you’ve ever been in and magnify that times a thousand. That’s just the starting point.”

“Thank the Norns it’s behind you now.”

“Is it? The Mad Titan is still out there, and he still wants something in our weapons vault. He will try to kill me one day. I can feel it.”

“Not while I’m around he won’t!”

“I appreciate that, brother, but you have no idea the power he possesses, nor the power of his minions.”

“He will face the wrath of the entire Asgardian army if he ever comes near you again!”

“I hope it’s enough,” Loki sighed.

“Do you have these nightmares often?”

“It has become less frequent than when I returned. I think being in a new place may have triggered it.”

“Have you spoken to mother or father about them?”

“No! Thor you have to promise not to tell them.”

“Why? They may be able to help.”

“No. They’ve been through enough when they thought I had died and again through my recovery. I don’t want to burden them anymore. Promise, Thor.”

Reluctantly, he did. 

They settled back down and eventually drifted off to sleep, but the revelation of Loki’s nightmares weighed heavily on Thor’s mind.


	11. Chapter 11

It was late afternoon when the four of them started stirring. Loki was up before the rest, but only by a few minutes. Frigga and Odin found him pacing in the front room.

“What’s wrong, son?” Odin asked.

“I’m itching to be active. It feels like I’ve been too lazy. I really want to go running.”

“Did you bring your running slippers?”

“No.” 

He could kick himself for not being more prepared.

“Why don’t you rouse Thor from bed, and the two of you can spar behind the house,” his mother suggested.

“Excellent idea!” Loki said as he headed for their bedroom.

“Thor!” he yelled. “Get out of bed and spar, lazy bones!”

His brother grumbled something unintelligible, but he finally stumbled to the bathroom to get ready.

Loki smiled at his parents. Odin rolled his eyes and shook his head. Frigga just chuckled.

Their boys finally went into the backyard to wrestle and spar.

“That boy has far too much energy sometimes,” Odin lamented.

“Yes, and don’t pretend you’re not happy about it. You would be horrified if he had turned out to be a lay-about like Freja’s son.”

“Perish the thought! He will make a fine warrior someday.”

“But an even better advisor to the King.”

They heard a sudden yelp from outside followed by much laughter. 

“I’m so glad they get along well. When Loki was growing up, I feared the age difference would be too great between them,” the Allmother admitted.

“Aye. But they have turned out to be each other’s biggest ally.”

The couple sat quietly on the couch for a few minutes, listening to the noise their sons made outside. There was more laughter than anything else. It warmed their hearts.

An hour or so later, both princes entered the house, panting and smiling.

“As oldest, I get to bathe first.”

“Fine, but don’t make a mess that I have to clean up!”

<><><>

After breakfast, they sat on the couches in the living room.

“We want to explain why we are here,” Odin said, seriously. 

“We’ve been exiled, haven’t we?” his youngest asked.

“No, we have not been…why would you even think that?” Odin asked.

“We left before anyone could see us. We’re living like Midgardians. I just assumed we were forced out.”

“Nothing could be farther from the truth, my heart,” Frigga assured him.

“Then what?”

“If you would stop interrupting and let me speak, I will tell you.” Odin was exasperated by his youngest son. He did have quite an active imagination.

“Your mother had a vision,” he began. “It was unsettling enough that she shared it with me.”

He motioned for Frigga to pick up the story.

“About a month ago, I had a vision. You know I do not share what I See about my family for fear of influencing your actions. However, this vision was different. It felt urgent. I Saw Asgard abandoned. No one was on our realm. We had all fled. I do not know the reason behind it; I just Saw that we were forced to leave. But I don’t know where we ended up. Twice more since I have Seen the same thing. Asgardians being refugees on another realm.”

“Thanos?” Loki asked. He tried and failed to keep the fear out of his voice.

“I cannot See who or what is behind our exodus.”

“I’ve been considering where in Yggdrasil we could go when these visions come true,” Odin said. “We couldn’t go to Vanaheim; they are overcrowded as it is, and their resources cannot support the population of another realm. Nedavallir is out; the dwarves are a selfish, secretive lot. We know the Alfs would not welcome us, as we are a warrior race. Svartalfheim and Muspelheim are inhospitable. So is Jotunheim. So I decided on here. I wanted the four of us to see what it would be like living on Midgard, on a less advanced realm. What do you think? Could we do it?”

The brothers were shocked by the revelation of having to leave their realm. They sat in stunned silence for several long moments. Thor finally spoke.

“I think we could manage here very well. Providing the Midgardians allow us.”

“Bah!” Odin said. “They have more than enough room for all of us.”

“Yes, father. But Midgardians tend to be selfish as well and are divided heavily amongst themselves.”

“Surely they would take in evacuees,” Frigga said. 

“Possibly. But as this is the only realm we could use, we really have no choice,” Thor stated.

“Can we choose an area that is less cold?” Loki asked. “Don’t they have more temperate climes here?”

“Yes, they do,” his father answered. “We have always had a connection to Norway. But I agree. It is quite cold here. Hopefully, we have enough time to pick a more pleasant area.”

“Have you discussed this with the Council?” the eldest prince asked.

“Nay. I wanted to make sure Midgard would truly be suitable. I used us as test subjects so I can tell them that, if we can survive here, any of them can.”

“What do we do now?”

“Now we prepare. Let us discuss ideas. What we need to take, what we will leave behind, what we can offer this realm in exchange for allowing us to stay.”

Loki gathered pen and paper, and the four of them began brainstorming. By the time they finished, the list was long, and they were exhausted. They each slept fitfully as the task of what was coming weighed heavily.

<><><>

The Royal Family returned around the same time of day they left. They departed in good spirits but arrived in a somber mood. Heimdall noticed immediately.

“Bad news?” he asked Odin.

“No, old friend. Not yet. But soon. I will want you to attend a Council meeting two days hence.”

Heimdall nodded and said no more. They mounted their horses and returned quietly to the palace.

The first thing Loki did was go for a run on his usual Path by the palace. While sparring with Thor gave him some exercise, it didn’t bring him the same exhilaration as running did. It was almost relaxing, the rhythmic placing of one foot then the other. He found he could think with more clarity while he was running. 

By the time he finished, he had several more ideas for Odin about the Departure, as they’d taken to calling it. He was determined that their people would all be saved, no matter what was coming.

<><><>

Two days had passed. The lists were organized and triaged from most necessary to least. The time to inform the Council had come.

“Lords and Ladies of the Council. Heimdall,” Odin began, using his King voice. “Today I inform you of dire information that requires our utmost and immediate attention. As you know, your Queen is the most gifted Seer in the Nine Realms. She has had a vision that affects all of us. Soon we will be forced to leave our home.”

The Council started murmuring. The King held up a hand to quieten them.

“We do not know the circumstances behind our exodus, only that we will need to abandon our realm. I do not know if we will ever return.”

Council members started shouting questions. 

“Silence! We must prepare ourselves and our people for the worst. We have no time to lose.”

“My King,” Hedin sneered. “We all know Queen Frigga is very talented. But are we honestly going to put our realm at risk and panic our people because of her soothsaying?”

The king fixed the man with an icy glare.

“My wife’s soothsaying has never been wrong. Ever. So yes, we are going to save our people. And it will be thanks to her Gift. Does anyone else have anything else to add?”

The Council all shook their heads.

“Good. My family and I have come up with a strategy,” Odin said.

He laid out to the Council what they had in mind.

<><><>

They enacted plans immediately. The kitchen staff grumbled at the extra work they had to do but got on with preparing non-perishable meals and storing them. They assumed they were going to war. Asgardians always stockpiled food in preparation for war.

Loki and Odin went to Solvi, the Head Librarian, and tasked him with having their most important books packed up carefully. History, literature, technology, architecture, medicine, etc. All were to be packed tightly so they could be moved. 

The healing staff was put to work amassing healing stones and herbs, medicines and bandages, and putting together as many portable soul forges as possible. 

Shepherds and farmers were to stockpile seeds, cuttings, and livestock embryos. Even Frigga participated by taking cuttings from her most valuable plants. Many were used by the healers, although a few she took because of their sheer beauty.

The treasury was emptied, and its contents were moved to a secret place that was heavily guarded. Gold, jewels, and other riches were carefully inventoried and packed away.

Weapons were also being stockpiled. Close combat, long-range, and intergalactic weapons of all sorts were ordered. And lots of them.

In addition to new weapons, they had to deal with the deadly ones in the weapons vault. It was dangerous to bring them to Midgard. But it was equally dangerous to leave them unattended. It was finally decided that some would have to be destroyed, others hidden in the mountain, and the rest would have to go with them. 

That left the problem of how to assemble all their people in one place on short notice without panicking them so they could be sent to Midgard via the Bifrost Bridge. 

Since word had already gotten around that something big was up, Odin made an announcement to the public from the balcony at the front of the palace. The Council and his family were by his side as he revealed their intentions.

“My people of Asgard,” he began. “You have undoubtedly noticed that we have begun stocking up on food, weapons, and supplies. It grieves me to tell you that we will soon be forced to leave our home.”

He had to hold a hand up to stop the murmuring of the crowd. They were already distressed by the news, and they didn’t yet know what was happening.

“Your Queen has had a vision. I will not go into the details at this time. We do not yet know what will trigger our Departure. I do not take lightly the decisions I have made. We have begun preparations to move us all to Midgard.”

Crying, shouting, and confusion rippled through the crowd. 

“Quiet, please!” Odin continued. “I am doing what I think is best for the continued existence of our people. I will ensure that we not only survive but thrive wherever we are. Asgard is a people, not a place. I am asking you to trust me, the Council, and my family.”

“Tomorrow morning when the day breaks, we will begin evacuation drills. For whatever is coming, we will be prepared. Notices are now being posted around the outer villages. Members of the Council, along with the Einherjar, will be in place to instruct you what to do and where to go. We must have order. You must listen carefully and do exactly as you are told. Do not worry about taking your possessions right now. This is just a practice.”

“If there were any other way to prevent this, I would do everything in my power to do it. Alas, there is naught else to do but leave. Your Queen has foreseen this shall pass. I make a solemn vow to you that we will come out stronger for this experience. May the Norns protect us.”

They all left the balcony to sounds of shouting, crying, and chatter. Once inside Odin turned to his Council. 

“General Tyr has made assignments for the Einherjar who are to accompany you and where you will be stationed. Please prepare yourselves and be ready to report on how the evacuation exercise went tomorrow afternoon. You are dismissed.”

The Council left, leaving the four family members alone in the large room.

“Odin, you must rest,” his wife said. “We are as prepared as we can be until we find out if our exercise will work tomorrow morning.”

“I haven’t the time, my dear. I will rest when we are safe.”

<><><>

It took three hours for the last of the Asgardians to reach the Bifrost. That was far too long. Another drill would need to be run to shave at least two hours off the time. They would need to get as many people through the Rainbow Bridge as possible in as little time as they could. 

The Council poured over the plans and determined where things went right and where they went wrong. The next afternoon a surprise drill was run. This time the last of their people arrived in just under three hours. 

They ran drills every single day at all times of the day and night until finally, they had all the kinks ironed out. They could get all their people in place in under an hour. They decided to continue running drills every day to keep their people in practice. Yes, they complained, but the repetitions continued shaving off time.

At last, they felt ready.

Two weeks after the announcement of the Departure, Odin fell into Odinsleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Thor and Loki were in their parents’ bedroom. Frigga sat in a chair beside her sleeping husband.

“What shall we do, Mother?” Thor asked, hesitantly.

“What we were doing before he went into Odinsleep,” she answered placidly.

They heard the sound of boots outside. General Tyr opened the door with a guard of Einherjar behind him. In his hands he held Gungnir. On bended knee, he presented it to Thor.

Thor looked at his mother in surprise.

“You are first in line, Thor. It is your duty to take up Gungnir and lead our people.”

Thor gulped audibly; with shaking hands, he took the golden staff. Tyr saluted him and then left, closing the doors behind him.

“I – I don’t know how to be King.”

“Thor,” Frigga said gently. “You have been preparing for this your entire life. You know what needs to be done.”

“Loki?”

“I’ll help you in any way I can, brother.”

“Just don’t leave my side!” Thor begged.

Loki smiled. “I shan’t. What is your first order, King Thor?”

“Oh, um. I suppose we should make sure father is safe. Do you think we should send him ahead to Midgard?”

“I do feel that whatever will happen will be soon,” his mother answered. “He will be vulnerable if we were to be attacked now.”

“Okay. Then we’ll send the two of you ahead to Norway.”

“With several guards,” Loki added.

“Yes, guards. Six?”

“Make it eight,” his brother suggested. “They can take shifts defending from the inside and outside. I’m sure they’ll love sharing our bed as much as we did.”

“I’ve also been thinking…”

“Not one of your strong suits, Thor, but go ahead.” 

“Haha. I’ve been thinking that maybe we need to send all our supplies ahead to Kilen. That way it won’t hold up the line while we send our people through the Bifrost. It will already be there.”

“Hmm. That actually makes sense. I’m impressed, brother. I can go along with the cargo and cover it with a cloak of invisibility so no one notices. But you’d best leave the weapons cache here.”

“Yes, I fear we will need them more here than we will on Midgard.”

“We were planning to find a more temperate place, but I suppose time is of the essence,” their mother said.

“We can always relocate once we get there,” her eldest mused. 

“I’ll stay here and help mother pack their things and get father secured and ready to travel. You go to the Council and let them know what we’re planning,” Loki said. “That is, if it’s okay with you, King Thor.”

“Yeah. I can do this. I can go to the Council. Yes. Good plan. Okay. You do your thing, and I’ll go now.”

“You’ll be fine, son,” Frigga assured him. 

Thor looked less than sure, but he left with Gungnir in his hands, his head high. Loki started packing up their things and putting them in his interdimensional pocket. The Allmother watched over her husband, as her youngest finished up. 

“Please take a look around, mother, to see if I’ve missed anything you want.”

She picked up a couple of odds and ends, handing them to her son. She took one last look around the home she had shared with Odin for over two millennia and sighed. She had no idea if she would ever see it again. She nodded to Loki, and together they prepared the King for his journey.

<><><>

Loki decided to cloak himself, his parents, and the eight Einherjar in invisibility. He reasoned that it would probably panic people if they saw an unconscious king being carried on a stretcher down the Bifrost. 

He hugged his mother goodbye, assuring her he would be along shortly with their cache of supplies. Heimdall sent them on their way and waited with the prince for the crates to be delivered.

“Have you been able to See anything, Heimdall?”

“No. It is quiet on the Tree.”

“And beyond?”

“Nothing is out of place.”

“Are we…are we prepared for this?” Loki asked hesitantly.

“I believe we are. Don’t worry. Your mother has Seen us fleeing successfully. All will be well.”

Loki wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince the prince or himself of that.

The packaged supplies arrived quickly, in several large, heavy crates. They were on levitating platforms, making them easy to maneuver. Heimdall grouped them all together so he would not have to open the Bifrost any longer than necessary. Loki nodded, and they were sent to Norway.

The Gatekeeper had placed them very near the house in Kilen. It was simple to place the crates neatly in the backyard. Loki covered them in seidr, making them undetectable to anyone who was not Asgardian. He rushed inside to see his parents to ensure they were safe and sound. 

He found his father safely in bed with Frigga by his side. There was one Einherjar outside their bedroom, one in the living room, and two outside, front and back. The other four were working out logistics in the other bedroom.

“It went well, mother?”

“Yes, my heart. All is well. We will be safe here.”

He hurriedly unpacked their belongings.

“I wish you could stay here with us, out of harm’s way.”

He gave her a big hug.

“You know I cannot. I am needed at home until our people are safe.”

“You can’t blame a mother for trying. Just do please be careful, and don’t take any unnecessary risks. Promise me.”

“I swear.”

She kissed his forehead and watched him leave. He met up with the workers who had brought the supplies down. Once they were ready, he summoned Heimdall, and they were brought back to Asgard.

As soon as he arrived, he ran to the palace. He knew Thor would be anxious for news. He found his brother in the Council Room, going over plans once again. 

“What news, Prince Loki?” asked Delling.

“My father and mother are safe and secured, as are the supplies.”

“Excellent,” Tyr said. “Now we can concentrate on our people without worry. It should be much easier now.”

Two days later, the attack began.


	13. Chapter 13

It was very early morning. Thor and Loki were with the Council, planning the next drill.

Heimdall spoke to Thor inside his head, startling him.

“Part of the Bridge has collapsed!”

Thor jumped up from his seat at the Council table. 

“Collapsed? How?”

Everyone around the table knew he was conversing with Heimdall. They’d seen the King do the same thing numerous times.

“An entire section is gone,” the Gatekeeper informed him. “There is no way to get our people through now.”

“Damn! Who is responsible?”

“I can See no one. But the Bridge cannot just fall. It has to be sabotage.”

“We are under attack,” Thor said to the Council and Loki. “Part of the Bridge has fallen. We can no longer use that way to evacuate our people.”

“All our plans!” Delling wailed.

“We’ll figure something out. Where else can we gather them?”

“The mountain cavern,” Tyr suggested. “It’s large enough to hold us all.”

“Do it!” the King Regent said. “Sound the alarm, but don’t tell our people it isn’t a drill. Instruct the Einherjar who are transporting them to take them to the cavern instead of the Bridge.”

The Council members sprang into action. Lady Desma sounded the alarm to evacuate Asgard. General Tyr assembled the remaining Einherjar, tasking them to find the attackers.

Thor turned to his brother.

“Loki. Do you think you can find us some way out of here?”

“I can’t lead that many people through the branches of Yggdrasil. It’s too dangerous. Most of them would never make it.”

“Something else?”

“I – I’ll think of something,” Loki said.

Thor ran out leaving his brother all alone. He started pacing.

“Come on! Think!” he said to himself.

He stopped pacing abruptly.

“Heimdall,” he said aloud. “I need you to look for something. It’s urgent.”

“What do you need?”

<><><>

Asgardians began arriving at the cavern in the mountains behind the city within minutes. They were off-loaded quickly to make room for more skiffs. They sensed a feeling of urgency amongst the Einherjar. The fact that they were not being taken to the Rainbow Bridge as they’d practiced added to their anxiety.

Thor joined the hunt for whomever had sabotaged the Bridge. He hated to think there was no enemy to find and that they’d evacuated the realm for nothing. Yet he hoped there was no one to find. He didn’t feel ready to lead his people to safety and had hoped Odin would awaken before they’d needed to leave.

After half an hour or so his frustration had mounted. 

“Show yourselves, cowards!” he shouted.

“Are you that eager to die?” asked the deep voice behind him. 

Thor and the soldiers spun around to see the air shimmer, revealing a huge purple being and several Chitauri. 

The Einherjar immediately engaged the Chitauri, leaving the leader for Thor.

“Who are you?” the Prince asked angrily as he fought the purple giant.

“Did your brother not tell you about me? He told me all about you. How much he hated you and wished you dead. He was such a good little princeling.”

“Thanos!” Thor snarled. 

“I’d love to stay and chat about your traitorous brother, but there’s something I need before the bombs go off.”

“Bombs?”

“Give my regards to your brother when you join him in Hel.” 

Thanos pushed the button on a small device he was carrying, and he and his army shimmered and disappeared.

“They’ve planted bombs across the realm. Find those bombs!” he yelled to the soldiers.

They scattered immediately, searching for any devices that looked like explosives. 

“I hope you’ve found us a way out, brother,” he said quietly.

<><><>

Loki stood on the balcony at the front of the palace, arms raised, eyes closed in concentration. His arms shook as he pushed his seidr harder and harder. Seven enormous cargo ships broke the atmosphere. From there it was much easier to direct them toward the mountain cavern. Once he stationed them above the mountain, he projected images of himself onto the bridge of each ship.

“I am Loki, Prince of Asgard. My apologies for commandeering your ships,” he began. “My people have a great need, as we are currently being attacked by unknown forces. If you will allow us the use of your ships to take my people to Midgard, we will reward you handsomely with gold or whatever else you desire.”

“Are you a ghost?” the Kronan in the pilot’s seat asked.

“No, I am Loki, Prince of Asgard.”

“But you look like a ghost. You just appeared. Poof!”

“I’m projecting an image of myself on board your ships,” he huffed. “I am actually in the palace below.”

Loki’s patience had already worn thin. He knew, however, that Kronans were a trustworthy race, which alleviated much of his concern.

“Will you help us? Please?”

He was not above begging at this point.

“Yeah, alright. We’ll do it. My name’s Korg. This is Miek.”

“Nice to meet you. As you currently have no cargo, may we begin bringing my people on board now? Our time is limited.”

“Yeah, sure. We’ll open the cargo doors now.”

“Thank you. You will be richly rewarded when we get to Midgard.”

Loki’s specter disappeared.

“Where is Midgard,” Korg asked. Miek shrugged.

<><><>

Teleporting into the cavern, Loki informed the Einherjar to begin loading people onto the skiffs and taking them up to the awaiting cargo ships. They would have to keep count; they didn’t want to overload some ships and underload the rest. With the exodus underway, Loki then needed to find Thor. 

“Heimdall? Where is Thor right now?”

The Gatekeeper searched, quickly finding him in the palace near the scullery. He relayed as much to Loki, who teleported to the area.

“Thor, we need to get out of here! I’ve found a way for us to leave. Let’s go!”

“Thanos has planted bombs all around the realm. We are searching for them now.”

The blood drained from Loki’s face. He looked sick.

“Thanos? He’s here? Now?” His voice was quavering.

“Aye,” Thor said, not taking heed of his brother’s response. 

“Thor?” Loki said quietly.

“Oh, brother,” Thor said, finally realizing his brother was scared. “No harm will come to you. I promise.”

He put his hand on the back of Loki’s neck to reassure him. 

“But he got past our defenses. He’s on Asgard!”

Loki was panicking, but Thor refused to let him give in to his fear. 

“Yes, he did. But he is not here now,” his brother lied. Thanos very well could be standing behind him for all they knew.

Loki took a very deep breath. Then another. It helped, but not as much as having his big brother there.

“Okay. If mother Saw us fleeing Asgard, then we can assume that we were not meant to find the bombs, and that’s why we had to leave, yes?”

“There is logic in that.”

“Then let’s go! Leave it to Thanos and his minions, and let’s get out of here. Please, Thor!”

“Yes. You are right, brother. This is a fruitless search. How are we leaving?”

“Heimdall found seven immense cargo ships nearby that have no cargo. I managed to pull them out of space; they’re being loaded with our people right now.”

Thor grinned.

“You are a genius, brother!”

<><><>

Chaos had broken out as soon as the Asgardians comprehended they were not taking the Bifrost to Midgard. They had figured out that something had gone wrong, and that realization was terrifying.

The Council managed to meet up at the Cavern as it was steadily emptying of people. Thor, Loki, the Warriors Three, Sif, and Heimdall came into the cavern at the same time, along with General Tyr and the Einherjar who had been called off the bomb search. Both groups made their way to each other.

“We should try to have an equal share of guards and Council members on each ship,” Heimdall suggested. 

“If there is time,” Thor added. “We don’t know how big these bombs are or what will happen when they go off.”

“I also think it wise for the two Princes not to be on the same ship. Just in case something…well, just in case,” Tyr said. 

Loki looked at his brother. He knew it was not logical to have both princes on the same ship in case one of them didn’t make it. That didn’t mean it didn’t scare the shit out of him though.

“I’m sorry, Loki. But that is a good idea.”

“I know,” he said grudgingly.

“These are the last three skiffs,” noted Sif. “We should get on board.”

“Damn it!” Loki exclaimed suddenly.

“What? What!” a nervous Delling squeaked.

“The weapons! We can’t afford to leave them behind!” 

“I’ll go…” Thor began.

“No, brother. You’re King now. You’re too valuable, and you must stay with our people. I’ll go. I can get there faster.”

“Loki, no!” 

He grabbed Sif and Hogun each by the arm and teleported the three of them.

“Loki!” Thor roared.

“My King, we must go now!” Tyr said.

Reluctantly, Thor boarded a skiff with the others, and they headed for the cargo ships.

<><><>

Loki let go of Sif and Hogun as soon as they arrived in the hangar.

“What the Hel, Loki?” Sif shouted.

“I need one of you to fly one of the starships, while the other helps me load it with the weapons,” he explained.

They turned and realized that all the starships in the hangar had been destroyed. Every last one.

“Now what?” Hogun asked.

“We need to find someone who has a private ship. Someone nearby.”

“Borley has one, but that’s in the next village,” Sif offered.

Loki snapped his fingers.

“I’ve got it!”

He grabbed Sif and Hogun again and teleported them to the back of a grand house. There sat a brand-new star cruiser, big enough for the weapons.

“Whose house is this?” Hogun questioned as they boarded the ship.

“Hedin’s,” Loki said with a smile. “It serves that smarmy asshole right!”

Hogun was at the controls. He flew them inside the palace, taking care not to bump into any columns. He landed directly behind Hlidskjalf, Odin’s throne. Sif and Loki jumped out and began loading the huge crates of weapons onto the cruiser. Even though they were on levitating platforms, it still took several minutes to get them all aboard. They had one last container to go when they heard cawing overhead.  


“Huginn! Muninn! Get in. We’re leaving,” Loki shouted to them.

The two ravens flew into the starship and found a perch on the back of Hogun’s chair.

“It’s not going to fit!” Sif said as they struggled with the last container.

“We’ll make it fit! Push!’

Together they gave one final hard shove, and the container slotted inside. There was barely enough room to close the bay door, but they managed. 

Sif hopped into her seat in the cockpit. It was then they realized there was no room for Loki. A small “boom” drew their attention. There was another, and another, each one getting successively closer. They could see a bloom of yellow gas beginning to seep out into the grounds.

“That’s osmium. It’s deadly! Loki, take my place.” 

Sif started to climb out of the cockpit. Loki stopped her.

“We don’t have time to argue. We’re all going.”

He jumped toward her, transforming into a snake before landing on her lap. She slammed the door, and Hogun gunned it. They had to get away from the chemical gas now.

The fleet of cargo ships was close to exiting the atmosphere when they caught up to them. Hogun pushed the throttle, trying to reach the last ship before it broke into open space. 

“See if you can hail them,” Hogun said. “They need to open the landing bay door.”

“I don’t know their call signs or even the names of the ships. How are we going to contact them?”

Snake Loki, now wrapped loosely around Sif’s neck, began to hiss loudly.

“I don’t speak snake, Loki.”

If it were possible for a snake to roll its eyes, he would have done so. Instead, he transformed back into himself, half lying and half sitting on Sif.

“Loki! Ow!”

“Heimdall,” the prince said aloud. “Can you get them to open the landing bay doors on the last craft?”

Hogun smacked his forehead. “We’re idiots,” he said.

“Can you go back to being a snake now?” Sif asked. 

“I can’t,” he admitted with a sigh. “I’m just too exhausted.”

“Then can you move your elbow? Ow! The other one!”

Being uncomfortable for the next few minutes was a small price to pay until they were safely aboard the cargo ship. The doors had opened, and Hogun glided the craft inside.

Once they landed, the doors automatically closed behind them. A whoosh of air and the bay was re-pressurized. A few seconds later a green light indicated the air was now safe to breathe.

Sif popped open the door, and Loki tumbled out. She, Hogun, and the ravens followed suit. They all moved to the small window in the bay and watched as Asgard was swallowed in a putrid yellow gas.


End file.
